Arshdeep Singh was in limelight during the Punjab Kings’ opening match of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) against the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Arshdeep struck on the very first ball by getting rid of KKR opener Mandeep Singh with a well-directed bouncer. Mandeep played the pull shot but could not quite control it and was holed out in the deep mid-wicket region.
It was Arshdeep’s animated celebration after taking the wicket which caught the attention of everybody including the fans. The speedster spread his both arms like wings and did half a sprint to celebrate the wicket.
However, after getting rid of KKR pinch-hitter Anukul Roy, there was no smile on Arshdeep’s face. In fact, he gave a death stare to Anukul as the left-hander was walking back to the pavilion. The pacer saved the best celebration for his last wicket. After getting the wicket of dangerous Venkatesh Iyer, Arshdeep stood there, kissed his fingers together, and spread his arms in the air. As per some Pakistan fans, the celebration had similarities with Pakistan speedster Shaheen Shah Afridi. However, some of the Indian fans say that the celebration has similarity with former Indian speedster Zaheer Khan.
Arshdeep’s celebration has triggered a Twitter war between cricket fans of India and Pakistan.
Responding to Arshdeep’s celebration a fan wrote, “I don’t get it why everyone is trying to troll Arshdeep. He is just copying his idol (Shaheen Afridi). Let him be.”
“Yesterday, it was apparent that we had an impact as they replicated our opening ceremony. Furthermore, their bowler Arshdeep Singh is now trying to emulate Shaheen Afridi’s stance, indicating that we are the ones who are establishing the latest trends,” tweeted a Pakistan fan.
“U are right... shaheen is not worth following... arshdeep was following his idol zaheer, The reverse swing king!” commented an Indian fan.