“He doesn’t have the same juice” – Ambati Rayudu raises concerns over Arshdeep S
The Struggle Behind the Spell
The 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign has been a rollercoaster for the Punjab Kings, and at the heart of their bowling unit, left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh has found himself under the microscope. While the team managed to secure a morale-boosting seven-wicket victory against the Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Cricket Stadium, the performance of their lead strike bowler has sparked a heated debate among cricket analysts.
Ambati Rayudu, a six-time IPL champion and keen observer of the game, did not mince his words when discussing Arshdeep’s recent outings. Rayudu’s assessment centers on the idea that the bowler is currently struggling with a combination of physical exhaustion and tactical errors.
The Tactical Misalignment
Rayudu highlighted a specific issue with the lengths Arshdeep has been choosing to bowl. During his analysis, he emphasized that the pacer is currently relying too heavily on short-pitched deliveries, a tactic that has backfired given his current lack of top-tier pace and bounce. According to Rayudu, “He doesn’t have the same juice” – Ambati Rayudu raises concerns over Arshdeep S, noting that the bowler’s body seems to be signaling a need for a change in strategy rather than a relentless pursuit of the bouncer.
“He should be mindful of that because his short ball, he doesn’t have a great bouncer at the moment, maybe because of his body being tired or he doesn’t have the same juice as what he did a few months back. But he definitely has to compensate. If he has to overcompensate, he needs to be full,” Rayudu explained during the broadcast.
Numbers Don’t Lie
The statistics from the recent match against Lucknow Super Giants serve as a stark reminder of these challenges. Arshdeep finished his three-over spell with figures of 0/52, conceding runs at an alarming economy rate of 17.33. The captain eventually opted to remove him from the attack before he could complete his quota of four overs. Throughout the 2026 season, Arshdeep has conceded 541 runs across 14 matches—the highest by any bowler in the tournament—while maintaining an expensive economy rate of 10.20, despite leading the team’s wicket-taking charts with 14 scalps.
Is Fatigue the Real Culprit?
Not everyone believes this is a permanent decline in skill. Former South African cricketer Mark Boucher has come to Arshdeep’s defense, suggesting that the root cause is simple athletic burnout. Following a grueling schedule that included the T20 World Cup and an immediate transition into the IPL, the physical toll on players is becoming impossible to ignore.
“I think it’s just being tired [after the T20 World Cup] and this month being the IPL, and he had to play in this. That’s the reason why he’s like that. I don’t think it’s got anything to do with his skill or his talent. At some stage, it [the fatigue] has to catch up with the players,” Boucher noted.
Looking Ahead: Correction and Control
Beyond the physical fatigue, there is a technical concern regarding his discipline. In the match against LSG, Arshdeep bowled four wides, adding to a season tally of 28. He is currently approaching the unwanted record of 32 wides set by Matheesha Pathirana in the previous edition of the IPL.
To regain his status as a premier death bowler, Rayudu suggests a return to basics:
- Focus on Yorkers: Avoid the short-ball trap and return to the base of the stumps.
- Adjusting the Powerplay: Aim for fuller deliveries early on to challenge the batter’s reach rather than their ability to pull.
- Tactical Awareness: Recognizing when the body cannot generate the required zip for a bouncer and pivoting to fuller, tactical lengths.
As the Punjab Kings look to regroup for their future endeavors, the focus will undoubtedly be on how their star bowler manages his physical workload and whether he can recalibrate his bowling plan to regain the precision that made him a household name in the IPL.
