Arshdeep Singh (born 1999) is an Indian professional cricketer who plays for the India national cricket team. In Indian domestic cricket, he plays for Punjab and for Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League. Arshdeep is a left-arm medium-fast bowler. He was an integral member of the Indian team that won the 2024 and 2026 T20 World Cups, and was the joint-highest wicket taker in the former. Singh was also a member of the 2025 Champions Trophy and 2018 U19 World Cup winning squads.
Arshdeep made his international debut for the Indian team in July 2022 in a T20I match against England. He bowled a maiden over on debut, becoming just the third Indian bowler to do so on their T20I debut. Arshdeep is the first Indian bowler to take 100 wickets in T20 internationals.
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Early life and education
Arshdeep Singh was born in 1999 in Guna, Madhya Pradesh. He completed schooling at Gyan Jyoti Public School, Kharar and is a current student of Chandigarh University, Gharuan.
He has publicly referred to Chandigarh University as "मेरी यूनिवर्सिटी" (my university) in promotional videos while discussing his exams and academic performance.
Domestic career
In junior cricket, Arshdeep played in the Katoch Shield tournament. He was part of the Indian under 19 team which won 2018 Under-19 Cricket World Cup and went on to play for the under-23 national team.
In 2018, he played for Punjab's under-23 cricket team in the CK Nayudu Trophy. Playing against Rajasthan under-23s, he took eight wickets, including a hat-trick, in Rajasthan's second innings and 10 wickets in the match. Arshdeep went on to make his List A debut for Punjab in the 2018–19 Vijay Hazare Trophy on 19 September 2018 and in January 2019 made his first-class debut against Vidarbha in the 2019–20 Ranji Trophy.
In December 2018, he was bought by Kings XI Punjab in the player auction for the 2019 Indian Premier League. He made his Twenty20 debut for the team on 16 April 2019. He finished as the team's second-highest wicket-taker during the season and was highlighted as a future star player.
In November 2019, Arshdeep was named in India's squad for the 2019 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Bangladesh.
Arshdeep received accolades for his yorkers and death-overs bowling in 2022 IPL, finishing the season with an economy rate of 7.7.
In March 2023, Arshdeep agreed to play up to five County Championship matches for Kent County Cricket Club during the 2023 English cricket season.
In an IPL 2023 match against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium, Arshdeep bowled two successive swinging yorkers that broke the stumps. The rarity of such an occurrence along with the associated equipment costs received considerable coverage in the Media.
In the 2023–24 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Final between Punjab and Baroda, Baroda needed 32 runs from the final two overs with seven wickets in hand, having scored 24 runs in the 18th over. Arshdeep Singh took three wickets in five balls in the 19th over and conceded only four runs to help Punjab secure the victory.
International career
In June 2021, Arshdeep was named as one of five net bowlers for India's tour of Sri Lanka. Following a positive case of COVID-19 in the Indian team, he was added to India's main squad for their final two Twenty20 International (T20I) matches of the tour.
In May 2022, he was named in India's T20I squad for their series against South Africa and following month was named in the T20I squad for India's two-match series against Ireland.
In June 2022, Arshdeep was named in India's One Day International (ODI) and T20I squads for their tour of England. In July 2022, he was again named in India's ODI squad, this time for their away series against the West Indies. He made his T20I debut on 7 July 2022, playing against England at Southampton, taking the final two England wickets and bowling a rare maiden over on debut.
He took seven wickets and was Player of the Series in five T20I matches played against West Indies in 2022, and on 8 August 2022 was named in India's squad for the 2022 Asia Cup. In September 2022, he was named in India's squad for the series against South Africa, going on to take five wickets in two T20Is. In a Player of the Match performance during the first T20I against South Africa, Arshdeep took three wickets in his first over, including the wicket of David Miller, whom he clean bowled first ball with a sharp, late inswinger.
In September, Arshdeep was named in India's squad for the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup, In the team's opening match against Pakistan he took a wicket with his first ball, taking 3/32 in his 4 overs. He was India's leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 10 wickets in six matches with a bowling average of 15.60 runs per wicket.
In November 2022, Arshdeep made his One Day International (ODI) debut against New Zealand at Auckland. He played in all three of the ODIs during the tour but did not take a wicket, although he did take four wickets in the two T20I matches.
In December 2023, in the fifth T20I against Australia in Bengaluru, Arshdeep was tasked with defending 9 runs in the final over, with Australia's captain, a well-set Matthew Wade, at the crease. Arshdeep conceded only 3 runs in that over and dismissed Wade, enabling India to clinch the series 4–1. He received praise for remaining calm and composed in a tense finish and showcasing his skills as a death-overs bowler. Arshdeep was subsequently instrumental in India winning the ODI series in their tour of South Africa in December 2023. He picked up 10 wickets in 3 matches and was declared Player of the Series.
Playing style
Arshdeep has received praise from former India cricketers Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar commended Arshdeep for being balanced, committed, and having the right mindset for T20 cricket. He stated, "What I really like is that if Arshdeep has a plan, he commits to it and that is really, really important in this format as batters are going out and playing those extra shots and some innovative ones. So if you have a plan, commit to it."
Gavaskar praised Arshdeep's ability to swing the ball and his temperament, comparing him to Jasprit Bumrah, and said, "I do believe that he, like Bumrah, can be a very, very good bowler in red-ball cricket as well. Because if he can move the white ball so well, just imagine what he can do with the red ball. So I think the selection committee would do very well to look at him as an option for the red-ball game as well."
Arshdeep has earned recognition from fellow fast bowlers, including Kagiso Rabada, Lockie Ferguson, and Marco Jansen, as well. Rabada described him as the best death bowler in the IPL when they played together in 2022. Ferguson said, “I'm in awe of Arshdeep, really. He's an exceptional bowler... he absolutely loves fast bowling. He loves bowling at the death. He loves bowling with a new ball. He's hungry for the ball.” Jansen, who has also been Arshdeep's new-ball partner at Punjab Kings, remarked, “I really enjoyed working with him. I didn't expect him to be so open about sharing local knowledge—how wickets behave, what the ball does—but his inputs were very, very helpful.”
Arshdeep has credited yoga and meditation with helping him stay calm and maintain mental clarity in high-pressure situations. He has expressed appreciation for all the guidance and support he has received from captain Rohit Sharma, former coach Rahul Dravid, and fellow fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah. He has spoken very favourably about his early coaching under Jaswant Rai, as well as his association with former Punjab Kings bowling coach Damien Wright.
He has also spoken about Morné Morkel helping him in his quest to become a more aware, proactive, and adaptable fast bowler in T20 cricket.