IND vs AFG 2023: “I am trying to sharpen my skills” – Arshdeep Singh

India’s rising star Arshdeep Singh has had a roller-coaster ride in the last year. Singh had impressed with his skills when he came on to the International scene but 2023 wasn’t great for him. However, the left-arm seamer has bounced back strongly in the recent past.

The fast bowler from Punjab bagged 10 wickets in the three ODI matches at an impressive average of 9.50 against South Africa. In fact, Singh had gone wicketless in his first three ODI matches of his career.

Singh also returned with impressive figures of 3-32 in the second T20I against Afghanistan at Indore. The 24-year-old has scalped 10 wickets in six ODI matches so far whereas he has picked 62 wickets in 44 T20I matches.

“The last 12 months have been a mixed bag (of experience). There were a few good performances and I got to learn something new. There were a few ups and downs as well, making my performances neutral,” Arshdeep said during the pre-match press meet on Tuesday.

Singh added he is trying a few new things in his bowling and he is trying to hone his bowling skills.

“Specifically, I recently started (bowling) with new ball, especially on slow wickets. In the last match, I tried a few variations, especially against left-handers, and it worked and it gave me some confidence. Otherwise, I am trying to sharpen my skills,” he added.

Arshdeep added role clarity is very important to get the best out of themselves.

“Players’ roles are defined. As a bowler, you know, you have to bowl at the start and middle overs. When there is clarity, you come up with good performances,” he added.

India has already taken an impregnable lead of 2-0 in the series and Singh added that it is important to adapt quickly to the conditions to deliver their best.

“Mindset as a team doesn’t work on what the series scoreline and what happened in the last matches. The main motive is to get used to the ground, adapt quickly. We can look at improving and developing match skills,” said Arshdeep.

The third and last T20I of the series between India and Afghanistan will be played at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on Wednesday.