Fri Jan 23 13:50:00 UTC 2026: ### Arshdeep Singh’s Costly First Over Puts India on Back Foot Against New Zealand
The Story:
In the second T20I match between India and New Zealand held at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur, Indian bowler Arshdeep Singh had a disastrous start. After India won the toss and elected to bowl first, Singh conceded 18 runs in his opening over, becoming the joint-most expensive first over bowled by an Indian in T20I history. The onslaught came courtesy of New Zealand’s opener Devon Conway, who hit three fours and a six. Singh’s struggles continued in his second over where he conceded 4 consecutive boundaries against Tim Seifert, escalating his figures to 36 runs in just two overs.
Key Points:
- The match took place at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur.
- India won the toss and chose to bowl.
- Arshdeep Singh conceded 18 runs in his first over.
- Devon Conway of New Zealand scored three fours and a six off Arshdeep Singh’s first over.
- Arshdeep Singh is now jointly holding the record of conceding the most runs in the first over by an Indian bowler in T20I, equaling Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s record against Ireland in 2022.
- In his second over, Arshdeep gave away 4 consecutive boundaries against Tim Seifert.
- Arshdeep Singh conceded a total of 36 runs in his first two overs.
Key Takeaways:
- A poor start from a key bowler like Arshdeep Singh can put immediate pressure on the team.
- In T20 cricket, containing runs in the powerplay overs is crucial for gaining an advantage.
- Consistency is paramount for bowlers, and off days can prove to be very costly.
- The performance places Arshdeep under scrutiny, especially given expectations of him being a wicket-taker in the initial overs.
First Piper 