It was a game that went down to the wire on Monday at the Wankhede Stadium, but ultimately Punjab Kings triumphed on the night, as they picked up a third consecutive win over Rajasthan Royals on Indian soil.

While KL Rahul and Deepak Hooda starred for the Shers with the bat, it was Punjab’s very own Arshdeep Singh who stole the show in the second innings, as he successfully defended 13 runs in the last over to pick his team a winning start to the 2021 VIVO Indian Premier League.

“It feels good when the captain backs you, and gives you the ball in pressure situations. The kind of confidence the support staff, coaches and captain gave me really helped,” states Arshdeep in a post-match interview.

And KL Rahul rightly so revealed the thought process behind leaving the last over for Arshdeep, and backing him to win the game for Punjab. “ I always go to Arshdeep for crucial overs and he enjoys the pressure. He loves being in the contest and I love throwing him the ball, and he trusts himself and trusts his skills, so that's always good to see,” he said in the post-match press conference.

Bluff the batsman, not the captain

Having to defend a mere 13 runs in the final over against a raging Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh remained uncannily calm while bowling. Post the game, the left-arm seamer explained his thought process and what helped him stay composed.

“I always back myself to deliver under pressure. The support staff and coaches told me to keep things simple, stick to the plans. If you want to try a bluff, then bluff the batsman, not the captain,” said Arshdeep.

“The plan was to try and bowl six wide yorkers to Samson with that field in place, and if I executed all the balls perfectly, it will be difficult for him to get under the ball. The main thing for me was sticking to the captain’s plans and executing them the best I can,” concluded the left-arm pacer.