After winning the T20 World Cup 2026 trophy, Indian seamer Arshdeep Singh is aiming to win an IPL title with the Punjab Kings, but former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes that the lanky pacer needs to focus on how he bowls with the new ball. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Pathan said, “Arshdeep, who was your highest wicket-taker, has been consistently taking wickets. One thing he will definitely need to focus on is how he bowls with the new ball because, over the past year or slightly less than a year, from what I have observed, he hasn’t been bowling much inswing with the new ball.”
The 27-year-old pacer from Punjab is known for striking early with his accurate length deliveries. He took nine wickets in the recently concluded T20 World Cup, which India retained after defeating New Zealand in the final at Ahmedabad.
Pathan acknowledged that Arshdeep’s numbers have declined with the new ball and that he needs to pay attention to that aspect.
“His statistics, compared to before and after the Asia Cup, have slightly declined in terms of new-ball bowling. He will need to pay attention to that and also keep an eye on his economy rate,” said Pathan.
Arshdeep Singh has been consistent for the Punjab Kings since his IPL debut in 2019. He has taken 97 wickets in 82 IPL matches for the franchise, albeit with a concerning economy rate of nine.
He was retained by the Kings ahead of the 2025 IPL auction for Rs 18 crore, and he played a vital role in taking his side to the final, where they eventually lost to first-time winners Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
Singh is also the leading wicket-taker for India in T20Is, with 127 wickets in 84 matches. He is expected to play a big role for Punjab if the Kings are to finish this season with a trophy.
Punjab Kings full squad for IPL 2026: Arshdeep Singh, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harnoor Pannu, Harpreet Brar, Lockie Ferguson, Marco Jansen, Marcus Stoinis, Mitch Owen, Musheer Khan, Nehal Wadhera, Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Pyla Avinash, Shashank Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Suryansh Shedge, Vishnu Vinod, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Xavier Bartlett, Yash Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Cooper Connolly (Rs 3 crore), Pravin Dubey (Rs 30 lakh), Vishal Nishad (Rs 30 lakh), Ben Dwarshuis (Rs 4.40 crore).
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