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How Arshdeep Singh Drew Up A Death Overs Masterplan For PBKS And Trapped GT

Jatin

Arshdeep Singh came up with a clever strategy [Source: @BishOnTheRockx/x.com]Arshdeep Singh came up with a clever strategy [Source: @BishOnTheRockx/x.com]

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Punjab Kings kicked off their IPL 2025 campaign in some style, racking up 243/5 and then holding their nerve in a high-octane run-fest against Gujarat Titans at Ahmedabad on Tuesday. But this wasn’t just a game of big hits and fireworks.

It was also a match where smart thinking trumped brute power and credit for that goes to one man: Arshdeep Singh.

GT Were Flying Before The Brakes Kicked In

At one point, GT were cruising. With Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler teeing off in the middle overs, they raced to 170 by the 14th over, and the chase looked very much alive. The crowd was roaring, momentum had shifted and the Punjab camp looked under pressure.

But then came the twist. Punjab’s bowlers, led by Arshdeep’s on-field IQ, slammed the brakes, turned the game and secured a 11-run win.

Arshdeep Comes Up With Reverse Swing Masterplan

While most were watching the scoreboard tick, Arshdeep Singh noticed something else, the ball had started reversing ever so slightly. And that changed everything.

Instead of waiting for the death overs to try out wide yorkers, Arshdeep Singh went up to his skipper Shreyas Iyer and suggested his plan to bowl wide early as it was reversing. He wanted batters to hit through the off side.

"Arshdeep played an important role in that (the wide yorker plan). He came in and said the ball is actually reversing a bit, so the saliva on the ball is helping the bowlers a bit, I guess. He got Sai, and that changed the momentum for us. Then he came in and said let's start the wide yorkers earlier than trying it yoo late,” said Iyer.

That one piece of advice turned the game. Between overs 15 and 17, Punjab gave away just 18 runs, choking the life out of Gujarat’s chase. That little window killed the momentum and GT simply couldn’t recover.



Arshdeep Suggested The Plan To Bring Vyshak

Arshdeep not only came up with the plan but also suggested bringing in Vijaykumar Vyshak as the Impact Player as he spotted that wide yorker skills would be deadly on a reversing ball.

And Vyshak delivered. The former RCB quick nailed his lines from the word go, keeping it outside off, full and wide. He finished with figures of 0/28 in three overs (15th, 17th, & 19th).

Even Shreyas couldn’t help but praise the move after the game:

“He (Vyshak) came in with the right attitude, kept his calm, bowled yorkers straightaway. That’s exactly what we needed.”

Shreyas Shines With The Bat On PBKS Captaincy Debut

Let’s not forget, it wasn’t just the bowlers doing the heavy lifting. Shreyas Iyer had a day out with the bat, smashing a blistering 97* off just 42 balls. He may have missed out on a ton, but Shashank Singh’s 24-run final over blitz against Siraj gave PBKS that cushion which proved to be the difference.

With one win in the bag, PBKS now head to Lucknow for their next clash on April 1. If Arshdeep keeps thinking on his feet like this, Punjab might just have more than a few tricks up their sleeve this season.