Indian left-arm bowler Arshdeep Singh experienced a mix of high points and unexpected records in the fifth T20I against New Zealand in Thiruvananthapuram. He took 5 wickets for 51 runs, marking the most expensive five-wicket haul in men’s T20I Cricket. Despite this, his crucial wickets contributed to India’s 46-run victory.
Arshdeep’s performance can be described in two parts. He struggled initially, giving away 17 runs in his first over and 23 in the second. However, he bounced back strongly in his later overs, taking out important Kiwi players like Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Kyle Jamieson, and Daryl Mitchell. His crucial wickets helped to stop New Zealand’s scoring.
While achieving a five-wicket haul is significant, Arshdeep will also be remembered for the unwanted record of having the most expensive five-for in T20I history. The previous record was held by West Indies’ Alzarri Joseph, who took 5 wickets for 40 runs against South Africa in 2023, while South Africa’s Lungi Ngidi had the second-highest with 5 for 39 against England in 2022.
After the match, Arshdeep shared his thoughts on the game.
“Yep, it was a great learning for me as well—to stay in the game and not think about what happened in the past or in the first spell. That was the message from the coaching staff. I just wanted to stay in the present and do what was right in front of me,” he said.
India secures series win against New Zealand
India’s batting also performed exceptionally well. Driven by Ishan Kishan’s explosive century and a solid innings from Suryakumar Yadav, India scored 271 runs for 5 wickets, marking their third-highest T20I total. Despite a strong effort from New Zealand’s Finn Allen, who scored 80 runs, the team fell short, finishing at 225.
With this win, India clinched the series 4-1, bouncing back after a disappointing 2-1 loss in the ODI series. The team is now preparing for the upcoming T20 World Cup, which starts on February 7.
