Arshdeep Singh gave India a sensational start against the United States of the Amrica in the crucial ICC T20 World Cup 2024 match in New York on Wednesday, June 12. Arshdeep bagged two wickets in the first over to give India early control of the game and also entered the record books with a historic achievement.
The left-arm pacer dismissed the opener Shayan Jahangir on a lbw dismissal on the very first ball of the game to script a history. Arshdeep became the first-ever Indian bowler to claim a wicket on the first ball of the game in T20 World Cup history.
The 25-year-old Arshdeep became the only fourth player in the world to achieve this unique feat in T20 World Cup. The former Bangladeshi pacer Mashrafe Mortaza was the first cricketer to take a wicket on the first ball of the match when he dismissed Mohammad Shahzad of Afghanistan in the 2014 World Cup.
Bowlers to pick wicket on first ball of ICC T20 World Cup match
- Mashrafe Mortaza (Bangladesh) vs Afghanistan, 2014
- Shapoor Zadran (Afghanistan) vs Hong Kong, 2014
- Ruben Trumplemann (Namibia) vs Scotland, 2021
- Ruben Trumplemann (Namibia) vs Oman, 2024
- Arshdeep Singh (India) vs USA, 2024
Notably, Arshdeep also became the first Indian to scalp a wicket on the first ball of the match in T20I cricket as well. The PBKS bowler has been in a fine form in the T20 World Cup 2024 having taken five wickets in three innings so far.
However, the USA fought back well after losing two wickets in the first over. The experienced duo of Steven Taylor and Aaron Jones added crucial 22 runs for the third wicket and avoided losing further wickets in powerplay. New York venue has witnessed low-score totals with tricky playing conditions and any total around 120 will give the hosts a fighting chance against India's star-studded batting unit.