IPL 2021: How Arshdeep Singh Prevented Sanju Samson From Hitting a Last-Ball Six

In a high-scoring IPL 2021 encounter between Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings on Monday, Arshdeep Singh held his nerves against a charging Sanju Samson, ensuring his team edged ahead for a close four-run win. Batting first, PBKS set RR a target of 222 and defended it despite Samson hitting a blistering century.

IPL 2021 | Purple Cap | Points Table

Captain Samson singlehandedly kept his team alive in the chase and it all boiled down to the final over in which they needed 13 runs to win. Samson was joined by IPL’s most expensive player in history Chris Morris but he was scratchy at best.

Off the penultimate delivery, Samson drove the ball to deep extra cover but refused a single despite Morris more than capable of hitting boundaries. Five were needed off the sixth delivery meaning Samson had to clear the boundary to take his team over the line.

And Arshdeep has revealed what he and PBKS had planned to keep Samson from hitting the required runs.  “The field was set, the plan was to make Samson play wider, the plan was to bowl wide yorkers to Samson and if we executed that, it would have been harder for Samson to get under,” Arshdeep said during a virtual press conference on Monday.

“IPL is such a big stage and such a good league, you cannot write off any team. I do not have any special preparation, I just back myself. The support staff always tells me to back myself and keep things simple. I try to bowl what the captain wants me to, if you have bluff, then bluff the batter not the skipper,” he added.

While dew ends up playing a huge role in night games, Arshdeep reckons every team now prepares keeping in mind the conditions. “I guess every team practices bowling at the death with dew. I do not think there was that much dew, every team practices keeping dew in mind as toss is not in your control,”  he explained.

Arshdeep finished with figures of 3/35 from four overs, playing a vital role in PBKS starting the season with a confidence-boosting win. The team will next face MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings on Friday at the Wankhede Stadium.

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• Arshdeep Singh
• Indian Premier League
• IPL 2021
• Punjab Kings
• Rajasthan Royals
• Sanju Samson