India’s left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh reached a major career milestone after becoming the joint-highest wicket-taker for India in the first six overs of T20Is, taking his tally to 47 wickets, equalling veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
His achievement came during India’s commanding 101-run win over South Africa in the opening T20I at Cuttack.
Arshdeep impressed once again with the new ball, returning figures of 2/14 in two overs, reaffirming his status as one of India’s most dependable powerplay specialists.
The match also saw Jasprit Bumrah enter the elite 100-wicket club in T20 Internationals, finishing with 2/17 in three overs. Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel picked up two wickets each, while Hardik Pandya bagged one. Shivam Dube sealed the victory by dismissing the last South African batter, Lutho Sipamla.
Speaking about his success, Arshdeep said his plan was straightforward — to use the surface to his advantage.
“Thought process is simple — just go there and use as much as there is in the wicket. The idea was to hit the seam hard,” he said.
On Bumrah’s milestone, he added with a smile,
“I just told him, ‘Welcome to the 100 club.’”
The pacer emphasized his focus on enjoying the moment and maintaining discipline.
“It’s rare to get wickets offering swing and seam, so I just wanted to enjoy and stay disciplined,” he added.
India now lead the five-match series 1-0.
