Arshdeep Singh's Philosophy of Team Success and Self-Improvement

Punjab Kings' 26-year-old left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh has transformed himself into an IPL death-overs specialist in a couple of years. His transformation into an irreplaceable wheel in his side has been based on a firm philosophy of self-improvement and self-analyzing. According to Arshdeep, one becomes better by attempting to do even a little better. Constructive self-criticism is very much needed for his ongoing improvement in his situation. Overnight success does not happen in his belief and needs ongoing efforts towards change no matter how minute the change may be.

Already during this IPL season in IPL 2025, Arshdeep has started showing what he is capable of doing through the capture of crucial wickets, such as when he got rid of the prized scalp of Sai Sudharsan and Sherfane Rutherford, in the Gujarat Titans' losing 11-run match. Such a performance came as a guarantee of his evolved ability as a bowler, who could call upon in times of crunch time. Arshdeep, who has picked 78 wickets in 66 IPL games and 99 wickets in 63 Indian T20 internationals, has attributed his success to his focus on improvement and the belief that there is always scope for development. 

The success mantra of Arshdeep, as per him, is to work on improving by 1% or 1.5% after each match. Regardless of how good or poor his performance is, he is certain there is always scope for improvement and learning. Arshdeep's mantra is a simple but potent one: to just keep changing and never be satisfied with what has been done so far. This mindset of improvement is what makes him stand out from the crowd, and it's what keeps him performing at an optimum level on a regular basis.

Arshdeep attributes developing the attitude of constructive self-criticism as one of the key contributions to his development. He never shies away from accepting responsibility for his errors or those areas where he can do better. By stepping back and analyzing every match and every performance, he is able to enhance his skills and improve his game. This exercise in self-reflection makes him a better bowler with each game, and he can deliver when his team needs him the most.

This attitude is evident in his game and as a player for the Punjab Kings. Arshdeep enjoys being under pressure to deliver when the team is in a spot, whether stopping runs or taking wickets in the middle of edge-of-the-seat situations. It gives him a morale boost that his teammates have the confidence in him when they find themselves leaving him with the ball in tight positions. It is not a thing of feeling pressure for him but doing the best for the team and winning as a team.

Arshdeep's relation with his captain Shreyas Iyer also helps a lot in making him a player. Having played under the captaincy of Iyer previously, Arshdeep appreciates the space and support provided by Iyer to his players. Iyer's leadership is facilitative in nature with an eye to motivating players to play for the team, rather than setting stringent rules. This unselfish attitude has developed a nurturing environment in which players such as Arshdeep can flourish.

Iyer's captaincy provides him with team spirit, and Arshdeep feels that this is going to be the turning point in terms of ending Punjab Kings' jinx of never having won the IPL trophy. As a captain, Arshdeep feels that Iyer inspires him to work even harder and enable the team to win the trophy. The kind of motivation his captain provides just makes him more inclined to give his best whenever he is on the field.

Since Arshdeep features more and more within the IPL, he just keeps thinking on how to improve every time and deliver at the last moment. He knows setbacks are a component of the activity, but he doesn't permit them to get into his system. Rather, he utilizes each possibility to perform as much as he can and assist the group in fulfilling its aims. For Arshdeep, the secret to becoming a good cricketer is not daydreaming about being perfect but rather taking things step by step and learning from each experience. This mindset, combined with his self-belief and determination, will keep driving him towards success on and off the field.