Young gun Arshdeep Singh is on the cusp of becoming India's leading T20I wicket-taker, and he could achieve the remarkable feat in the remaining two matches against South Africa.
The young left-arm quick has been slowly making waves in the shortest format of cricket, but now one can feel the impact of his performances.
Since making his debut against England in 2022 in Southampton, Arshdeep has grown in stature as a player with each passing year.
In his T20I debut year, Arshdeep scythed a whopping 33 wickets in the format. In the following year, he had another strong outing with the white ball, picking up 26 wickets in T20I.
In the ongoing year, Arshdeep has been riding high on his hot red form. With a stellar performance in the T20 World Cup, where he ended the tournament as the leading wicket-taker, Arshdeep is within reach of becoming India's leading T20I wicket-taker.
He already has 30 wickets in 2024 and is eight wickets shy from dethroning Yuzvendra Chahal to become the most successful bowler for India in the format.
Overall, the 25-year-old has managed to bag 89 scalps in just 58 matches, averaging 18.68 and striking at 13.46, with an economy of 8.32.
He is on par with pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah for T20I wickets and stands eight wickets short of bettering Chahal's tally of 96.
In the ongoing four-match T20I series against South Africa, the left-arm seamer is yet to make a major impact with the ball.
In two matches, he has managed just two scalps, averaging 33.00. Notably, he has pushed for wickets in the powerplay. In the series opener, he outclassed the Proteas skipper Aiden Markram, making early inroads.
During India's futile 125-run defence, Arshdeep drew the first blood by putting in the slower variation to effective use to dismiss high-flying Ryan Rickelton.
With two more T20Is to play, Arshdeep will have a golden opportunity to etch his name into the history books by moving to the top of the summit.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from ANI)
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