NEW DELHI: Asia Cup-bound pacer Arshdeep Singh turned heads both with the bat and ball on Friday, producing a memorable cameo as North Zone tightened their grip against East Zone in the ongoing Duleep Trophy quarter-final.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Coming in at No.11, Arshdeep needed just two deliveries to leave a mark. The left-hander launched both for sixes, racing to 12 not out off 2 balls at a staggering strike rate of 600, helping North Zone finish at 405 all out in their first innings. Later, he cheekily posted clips of his hits and the scorecard on social media with the caption: “Not bad for a No.11.”
If the cameo was eye-catching, his primary role with the ball was even more impressive. Sharing the new ball with fellow Asia Cup squad member Harshit Rana, Arshdeep bowled hostile spells across three sessions, showing sharp rhythm and match readiness. The real destroyer, however, was Aquib Nabi, who claimed 5 for 28, including a hat-trick, to skittle East Zone for 230. That gave North Zone a commanding 175-run first-innings lead.Earlier, Kanhaiya Wadhawan (76) anchored North’s innings before the lower order, capped by Arshdeep’s fireworks, stretched the total past 400.The outing held extra significance for Arshdeep, who was playing a first-class match after nearly a year — his last appearance came in October 2024. It was also his return from an impact injury to his left thumb sustained during an intra-squad game in Beckenham, England, in July.Any doubts about his fitness were quickly dispelled, as he bowled 17 overs with sustained hostility and showed no signs of discomfort. His all-round showing will reassure India’s team management ahead of the Asia Cup 2025.
