Amid speed rush, Arshdeep Singh reaps rewards for consistency and accuracy

Oct 23, 2022 - 02:30

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Amid speed rush, Arshdeep Singh reaps rewards for consistency and accuracy

From young to experienced, many are set to play their first T20 World Cup when action gets underway Down Under. Before the first ball is bowled, Firstpost.com brings to you FirstCup – a special series where we chart journeys of T20 World Cup debutants.

Back in 2018, both Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi set the speedometer on fire. The young seamers caught everyone’s attention with consistent speeds over 145kmph at the U-19 World Cup, which India won after beating Australia in the final. The tournament saw the likes of Prithvi Shaw, Shubman Gill, Nagarkoti and Mavi announce themselves on the big stage and draw the attention of IPL scouts. Heavy bids were expected for the pace duo of Mavi-Nagarkoti and batting mainstays Shaw and Gill.

Gill went to KKR for Rs 1.8 crore and Shaw was bought by Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals) for Rs 1.2 crore. The youngsters were rewarded for their outings in age-group cricket but it was the bidding wars for Nagarkoti and Mavi which got everyone talking. KKR were in the mood to snap these exciting talents and spent Rs 3.20 crores for Nagarkoti and Rs 3 crores for Mavi. It was on the expected lines as Indian cricket was in desperate need for speed during that period.

While the auctions were rewarding for plenty of U-19 players from the World Cup squad, a lanky left-arm seamer went unsold. He didn’t get many chances in the World Cup and played only two of the six matches India U-19 played that year. At such a young age, it was quite natural for any cricketer to feel disheartened but it wasn’t the case for this seamer from Punjab. These were early days but his coach Jaswant Rai, especially after how the next few years unfolded, knew Arshdeep Singh was cut from a different cloth.