"He needs to stop bowling so many short balls" - Ambati Rayudu's huge claim on Arshdeep Singh after dismal outing vs LSG

Ambati Rayudu stated that Arshdeep Singh has been bowling at the wrong lengths, which has led to him being put to the sword by opposition batters in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. On Saturday, May 24, the Punjab Kings (PBKS) defeated the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by seven wickets in a do-or-die contest at the BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium, keeping hopes of reaching the playoffs alive.

However, Arshdeep had another off day, conceding 52 runs in three overs and failing to pick up a wicket. During the tournament, he has picked up 14 wickets from as many games, but his economy rate is a disappointing 10.21.

Rayudu said that Arshdeep should stop bowling too many short deliveries if he gets to bowl in the playoffs. With the new ball, Rayudu urged the left-arm pacer to bowl fuller and go for the yorkers at the death.

"I just think his lengths [are the problem]. He's not someone who should be bowling a lot of short deliveries. Even in the death, he should be bowling yorkers. And even with the new ball, whenever he has bowled full, except for the first ball which was driven through the covers, I don't think his fuller balls went for so many runs as much as the short of length deliveries or the short ball," Rayudu said during a discussion on ESPNcricinfo Timeout.

"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 added.

"It's just being tired" - Mark Boucher on PBKS pacer Arshdeep's IPL 2026 woes

Mark Boucher also shared his views on Arshdeep's abysmal performance in IPL 2026. The former South African wicketkeeper opined that Arshdeep could be a bit tired after the T20 World Cup stint and the subsequent IPL. Boucher also reckoned that the 27-year-old could be trying too hard to swing the ball both ways.

"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. It's just, it's natural," Boucher said.

"So yes, I think that he is maybe a bit tired. But the one thing about him [is that] he knows that he's going to be playing. It's not like he's an international [overseas player] where you've got quite a few different options and you can rest players here and there. He has to play. I think that he's trying too hard with the new ball to take the ball both ways," he concluded.