Arshdeep Singh (BCCI/IPL Photo)
DHARAMSHALA: Arshdeep Singh did not look his usual self here on Saturday afternoon. On the eve of a close match against table-toppers Royal Challengers Bengaluru, he avoided his usual banter with teammates and spoke intensely with Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting. For a man who has built his reputation on lighting up the dressing room and fighting spirit on the field in the toughest of situations, India’s leading left-arm spinner has been visibly subdued in the IPL. Arshdeep reached the zenith of success in the first week of March with his triumphant World Cup campaigns. In two months he will find himself at the bottom at the foot of the terrifying Dhauladhar mountain range. Arshdeep’s unusually low season is the main reason why Punjab Kings have inexplicably fallen from the peak they reached midway through the tournament. Be it the controversies erupting from his social media presence or bowling on the flattest of pitches, one has been roaming about what Arshdeep must be going through. Understandably, the Punjab Kings management was also looking for answers. And it turned out that he was not at his best physically during the tournament. “We’ve been working together a bit and looking at his body to see if he has any limitations in his body that could be the reason why some of his performances are up and down. We think we’ve hit a bit of a winner there. Physically, he’s been feeling a lot better in the last few weeks,” Andrew Leipus, head of sports science, Punjab Kings, told TOI here. Leipus’ revelation accounts for why Arshdeep’s deliveries seemed to lack zip. He tried to nail yorkers or bouncers in crunch situations like he has done for the last couple of years. While he has been quietly dealing with his physical issues, he seems to be weighed down by off-field controversies. Leipus didn’t deny chattering around, but also insisted that Arshdeep stick to his own well in the dressing room. “I know there’s been a bit of chatter going on behind the scenes of various things – vlogging and whatnot. Arsh is pretty level-headed when it comes to his demeanor and attitude. He’s not up or down. He gives his best. He’s a very vocal person in the locker room. That hasn’t changed. He’s very calm,” Leipus said. “One of the best things the ICC ever did was take away the phones. When you’re in a team environment like that, it’s not an issue. When it becomes an issue, it’s out. I’ve heard rumours. I think it’s potentially something that needs to be addressed,” he added. If all suggestions of off-field distractions are true, Arshdeep need look no further than the opposition dug-out to re-motivate himself on Sunday afternoon. In Virat Kohli and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, two 37-year-olds with plenty of laurels in their second-decade careers are still reinventing their game and evolving at the frenzied pace of contemporary cricket. Leipus claimed that captain Shreyas Iyer and Arshdeep have shown exemplary composure as the leaders of this unit during this rough phase. It’s up to them to turn it around on the pitch on Sunday.
