I was under pressure: Arshdeep Singh opens up on playing in front of family members in Florida

Young Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh, in a conversation with his teammate Shubman Gill, revealed that he was under pressure to perform well in front of his family members in the fourth T20I in Florida on Saturday. Arshdeep finished the match with the figures of 3 for 38, having taken the wickets of Kyle Mayers and Brandon King in the powerplay before dismissing Shimron Hetmyer in the final over.

“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),” Arshdeep Singh said in a video posted by BCCI on Instagram.

“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 added.

Arshdeep also realised it was a belter of the pitch and that he was quick to adjust to a new length and a backup plan.

Darshan Singh, Arshdeep’s father, and Akashdeep Singh, his elder brother, were in the stands for the fourth T20I against the West Indies.

“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 added.

Arshdeep Singh has faced a challenging period in recent months within the realm of international cricket. His struggle with overstepping and bowling no-balls resulted in his exclusion from the team for a certain duration.

During the early matches of the current series, the southpaw fast bowler proved to be a bit costly, particularly in the final overs, a phase in which he had previously built a dependable image. Nevertheless, achieving a commendable 3/38 record on a pitch favoring batsmen is likely to have significantly boosted his self-assurance.