Six-time IPL winner Ambati Rayudu believes fatigue could be one of the main reasons behind Punjab Kings pacer Arshdeep Singh’s struggles this season.
Arshdeep had a tough outing against Lucknow Super Giants in a crucial match at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on May 23. The left-arm fast bowler gave away 52 runs in just three overs as PBKS suffered under pressure in an important game.
Rayudu's advice to Arshdeep Singh
Speaking on ESPNcricinfo TimeOut, Rayudu said Arshdeep’s bowling lengths have been a major concern. He also suggested that the pacer should avoid bowling too many short deliveries and instead focus more on yorkers.
"I just think his lengths [are the problem]. He's not someone who should be bowling a lot of short deliveries," Rayudu said.
"Even in the death, he should be bowling yorkers. And even with the new ball, whenever he has bowled full, except for the first ball which was driven through the covers, I don't think his fuller balls went for so many runs as much as the short of length deliveries or the short ball.
"He should be mindful of that because his short ball, he doesn't have a great bouncer at the moment, maybe because of his body being tired or he doesn't have the same juice as what he did a few months back. But he definitely has to compensate. If he has to overcompensate, he needs to be full."
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Arshdeep also struggled with his accuracy during the match. His attempt to bowl wide yorkers in the final over did not work, as Abdul Samad smashed him for a six and two boundaries.
Arshdeep Singh's forgetful records in IPL 2026
The pacer bowled four wides in the innings, which was equal to the combined wides bowled by all the other Punjab Kings bowlers in the match.
So far in IPL 2026, Arshdeep has bowled 28 wides, the second-highest in the tournament. Only Chennai Super Kings pacer Matheesha Pathirana has bowled more, with 32 wides last season.
Arshdeep has also conceded the most runs by any bowler in the league stage this season. In 14 matches, he has given away 541 runs. CSK pacer Anshul Kamboj is close behind with 530 runs conceded.
Despite the expensive outings, Arshdeep remains Punjab Kings’ highest wicket-taker this season with 14 wickets. However, his average stands at 38.64 and his economy rate is over 10 runs per over.
PBKS IPL 2026 qualification scenario after LSG's win
Punjab Kings (PBKS) ended their IPL 2026 league campaign with 15 points and a Net Run Rate of +0.309. However, their playoff qualification now depends completely on the result of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) vs Mumbai Indians (MI) match.
If Mumbai Indians defeat Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings will secure a place in the IPL 2026 playoffs. But if Rajasthan Royals win the match, PBKS will be knocked out of the tournament, as RR will move to 16 points and claim the final playoff spot.