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Former India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey attributes Arshdeep Singh’s growth as a red-ball bowler to his stint in county cricket with Kent during the 2023 season. Despite only securing 13 wickets in five matches at an average of 41.76, Arshdeep believes the experience was crucial for his development.
Initially making his mark in T20Is with strong performances and later debuting in ODIs, his limited first-class experience had previously raised doubts about his capabilities in Test cricket. However, it seems he has now addressed those concerns.
Paras Mhambrey discusses Arshdeep Singh’s prospects in Test cricket.
In a discussion with News18 CricketNext, Paras Mhambrey shared insights on Arshdeep Singh’s prospects in red-ball cricket. The former India bowling coach praised Arshdeep for his impressive performances in both ODI and T20I formats.
“I think the idea was to make sure Arshdeep plays a lot of first-class cricket. I think with the red ball especially. He’s really doing well in the white ball. If you look at the way he goes about T20 format, he’s fabulous,” Mhambrey said.
Mhambrey also addressed Arshdeep’s prospects with the red ball, noting that the bowler has been given a break to focus on playing more Ranji Trophy matches. He believes this experience will significantly aid Arshdeep’s development as a red-ball bowler.
“Obviously, the challenge is sometimes now taking forward to the red ball. I think that was the idea for us to make sure that in between where he was not part of the white ball team, he was given a break, made sure that when the Test cricket was going on, we made sure that he played Ranji Trophy.”
“And I think that’s where you really get better. You challenge yourself mentally, physically. You’re a lot more bowling, you’re doing it. And the more you bowl, you can get a lot of control. So, the idea was to make sure that he plays Ranji Trophy,” Mhambrey added.
Although Arshdeep Singh has featured in many white-ball games, he has yet to make his Test debut. With only 16 first-class matches under his belt, he has taken 49 wickets at an average of 31.97.
Paras Mhambrey attributes Arshdeep Singh’s growth to his County stint.
Mhambrey recalled when Kent, the English county, reached out to Arshdeep Singh, calling it a pivotal moment for the young bowler. He highlighted that the challenges of county cricket played a crucial role in enhancing Arshdeep’s skills and overall growth as a bowler.
“When the county approached, I think that’s where we are, obviously (KL) Rahul was also on par with this, and said, “Okay go through that experience.” Because county cricket is challenging. You’re playing four days, you’re driving from one end to the other, get two days break and then you’re playing a game, so it’s constant travel bowling and you are challenged physically and mentally.”
“You play as a pro all. So, you have a lot of responsibility, expected to pick wickets, expected to win matches, so that added responsibility is always there. So obviously you have to be on top of the game, you can’t be below par in any of the game, so you have to keep pushing yourself, right? I think that stint also has helped him because he’s come a very different bowler. He’s confident now,” Mhambrey concluded.
Arshdeep Singh’s record in International cricket
Arshdeep Singh has so far claimed 83 wickets in 54 T20Is, maintaining an impressive average of 18.75 and an economy rate of 8.37. He played a crucial role in India’s victory at the T20 World Cup 2024, where he was the joint-highest wicket-taker with 17 wickets in 8 matches, averaging 12.64 and boasting an economy rate of 7.16.
In addition, Arshdeep has appeared in 8 ODIs, where he has taken 12 wickets at an average of 24.08 and an economy rate of 5.05. He has also achieved a five-wicket haul in ODIs.
