Arshdeep Singh returned to form against Mumbai Indians after a quiet start to IPL 2026, with backstage chat playing a key role. Ricky Ponting has revealed how simplifying the pacer’s approach helped unlock his best at the Wankhede.
Arshdeep struggled to find a rhythm at the start of the season despite Punjab Kings’ strong run. Speaking to JioHotstar after the match, Ponting revealed how the timely talk helped the left-arm paceman reset himself mentally and tactically.
IPL 2026, MI vs PBKS: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
“He’s almost over-trained. He probably over-trains and sometimes builds bad habits into his game. But yesterday he broke down on his own and did 30-40 minutes of dot bowling to improve a few things and improve his release,” Ponting said.
“If you watched him closely, he just wasn’t getting the shape with the new ball that we’re used to. He worked hard on it yesterday and then he had an almost perfect start to today,” he added.
“I spoke to him before he went to bowl. I asked him exactly what ball he wanted to bowl to Ryan Rickelton and Quinton de Kock first. He said he wanted to hit the fourth line and bowl it,” Ponting said.
“I told him to stand on top of his mark, visualize the ball and then execute it. And that’s exactly what he did. If he can play the ball like he did tonight and take timely wickets, then we’re off and running,” he added.
Also Arshdeep who put in extra work in training to rediscover his rhythm he acknowledged that clarity from Ponting helped him stay focused and trust his progress again.
Punjab Kings continued their unbeaten run with a dominant winwho chases down a competitive Mumbai Indians total with ease after early breakthroughs with the ball that set the tone.
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Arshdeep produced a clinical spell to put Mumbai Indians under initial pressure.
He dismissed Ryan Rickelton early before dismissing Suryakumar Yadav for a golden duck, breaking the backbone of the MI batting in the powerplay. He later returned to dismiss the in-form Sherfan Rutherford and finished with figures of 3 for 22.
Despite a century from Quinton de Kock, Arshdeep’s early breakthroughs ensured that MI never completely ran away with the game.
Chasing down 196 comfortably, with Prabhsimran Singh and Shreyas Iyer leading the way, Punjab Kings sealed a seven-wicket victory and extended their unbeaten run in IPL 2026.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
17 Apr 2026 11:21 IST
