IPL 2021: Arshdeep Singh becomes third youngest to take fifer in IPL

Arshdeep Singh put in a remarkable performance to pick up his first five-wicket haul in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as the Punjab Kings bowled Rajasthan the Royals out for 185 in 20 overs in their IPL 2021 battle on Tuesday. With this, he became the third Punjab Kings bowler to register an IPL five-for. The only bowler apart from Arshdeep to record a fifer against Rajasthan is current Punjab head coach Anil Kumble. The legendary spin bowler had registered 5/5 in IPL 2009.

The Royals at one point looked set for a 200+ total. However, Arshdeep Singh kept delivering key breakthroughs in regular intervals to help stunt the Sanju Samson-led team.

With the Rajasthan Royals openers off to an incredible start, Singh got the first wicket for Punjab as he had Evin Lewis slice a shot to extra cover. Then, Liam Livingstone looked to counterattack, smashing him for 18 runs in an over.

Arshdeep Singh came right back in the same over to send him packing, thanks to a stunning catch by Fabian Allen. He got another key wicket in the form of Mahipal Lomror, who had raced to 43 off 17 deliveries, to once again put a dent in the Royals’ hopes for a 200-plus total.

While Mohammed Shami struck three times late in the innings, Arshdeep Singh picked up the wickets of Chetan Sakariya and Kartik Tyagi in the final over to restrict the Royals to 185. Singh finished the match with figures of 5/32, playing a key role for his team.

Yashasvi Jaiswal top-scored for the Royals with his 36-ball knock of 49 runs. It was Jaiswal’s finest performance in the IPL, as he hit six boundaries and two sixes before falling short of a maiden half-century in the tournament.

Lomror looked lethal. He was another left-hander who helped RR put up a good score, as he smashed the ball all around the park. He cleared the ropes four times and hit two boundaries in his quickfire knock,which drastically improved RR’s run rate.

Evin Lewis and Livingstone also put in handy contributions, with scores of 36 and 25 respectively. However, Sanju Samson’s performance left something to be desired as his poor form continued into the second leg of IPL 2021.