Arshdeep Singh is currently the epicentre of all discussions revolving around Indian cricket. On Sunday, when Rohit Sharma & Co squared off against arch-rivals Pakistan, the 23-year-year got involved in an incident that brought him under the radar of the trolls. Pakistan needed 31 runs off the last 15 balls of their 182-run chase when the youngster dropped a sitter off Ravi Bishnoi’s bowling, giving life to Asif Ali. The men in green capitalised on the chance, taking the game away from India’s grip in the next 13 deliveries.
Had Arshdeep taken the catch, it would’ve been the third consecutive win for India. But losing is just another part of the game but the trolls never understand that. The left-arm quick was brutally abused and portrayed as the match’s villain. Some notorious elements even vandalised his Wikipedia page which was eventually restored.
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The entire episode also left Arshdeep’s parents dejected. Darshan Singh and Baljeet Kaur have arrived in Dubai to see their son play for the country. Moreover, they watched him live in a stadium for the first time.
Speaking with The Indian Express, Darshan said, “As a parent, it feels really bad. He is only 23. I don’t want to say much about trolls. You can’t shut everyone’s mouth. Without fans, there is no game. There are some who stand by you no matter what and others who can’t digest a single loss. But at the end of the day, only one team can win.”
Before heading back to Chandigarh, Darshan and Baljeet spoke to their son. According to them, Arshdeep has taken the incident as a lesson that can motivate him for the upcoming challenges.
“His exact words were, ‘I am laughing at all these tweets and messages. I am only going to take positives from it. This incident has only given me more confidence’, said the Indian cricketer’s father.
“Arshdeep told us that the whole Indian team is supporting him,” Baljeet, Arshdeep’s mother said.
Amid the fallout, Arshdeep’s parents are determined to return to the UAE if India makes it to the final.
“If India qualifies for the final, we will be in Dubai. We want to be there if India wins the Asia Cup. Arshdeep told us that he is looking forward to contributing to an India win,” Darshan said.
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