April 20: Punjab Kings’ left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh once again asserted his dominance over Phil Salt, dismissing the English opener for the fourth time in T20 cricket during Sunday’s IPL clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
Opening the innings in pursuit of 158, Salt’s stay was cut short as he fell for just 1 run, with Arshdeep striking early to give PBKS the perfect start. The pattern between the two continues to favor the Indian seamer, who has now dismissed Salt 4 times in just 32 deliveries, with the batter managing only 25 runs at a strike rate of 78.12 in those head-to-head matchups.
What’s more telling is that Arshdeep has removed Salt in four of their last five T20 encounters, clearly exposing a weakness that Punjab Kings have exploited well. The early breakthrough helped PBKS seize control of the game right from the start of RCB’s chase.
Earlier, RCB’s spin unit had done well to restrict Punjab to a competitive 157/6, but Arshdeep’s timely strike further tilted momentum in the hosts’ favor.
With this latest scalp, Arshdeep not only strengthened PBKS’s defense but also reaffirmed his status as a go-to bowler against key opposition batters.