India's bowling sensation Arshdeep Singh opened up about the heightened pressure he felt while performing in front of his family during the fourth T20I against the West Indies in Florida. Arshdeep made his mark in the match, delivering an impressive performance with a bowling figures of 3/38. He successfully claimed the prize wickets of Kyle Mayers and Brandon King during the powerplay and later dismissed Shimron Hetmyer in the closing over.
Sharing the emotions and motivation behind his performance, Arshdeep mentioned, "My father had come to Canada to play matches and so he, with my brother, came here to watch the game. Yes, there was a bit of pressure to perform in front of my family (smiles)." This insight was shared during a candid video chat hosted by BCCI on their official Instagram account.
Highlighting his strategies on the field, Arshdeep said, "When I started bowling, I quickly realized that the pitch was flat. So I tried to hit hard lengths and back my slower balls and was rewarded."
Arshdeep's father, Darshan Singh, and his elder brother, Akashdeep Singh, made a special appearance in the stands for the T20I, enhancing the emotional significance of the match for the young pacer. "It was pre-planned. Father is in Canada to play some tournament. So he tagged along with my brother and came to the USA to watch me play. There was a bit of extra support. There was pressure also to perform well in front of them," Arshdeep further elaborated.
Despite this commendable performance, Arshdeep Singh's journey in international cricket hasn't been without its challenges. Notably, issues related to overstepping and resultant no-balls had led to his temporary sidelining from the squad. In the earlier matches of this series, the left-arm speedster faced some criticism for his expensive spells, especially during the crucial final overs. However, his recent achievement, securing a 3/38 on a batsman-centric pitch, undeniably boosts his confidence, solidifying his position as a valuable asset for the Indian cricket team.
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