'Watch the game with passion, don't troll players' - Arshdeep Singh's coach backs him amid criticism

Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh continues to get trolled on social media for dropping Asif Ali's catch in the 18th over in an important 2022 Asia Cup clash against Pakistan on Sunday. The player is facing big criticism from the Indian cricket fans depsite bowling an impressive economical spell against Pakistan. He dismissed Asif and conceded only 27 runs from his 3.5-over spell.

But the 23-year-old was handed the responsibility to bowl the last over where Pakistan needed only seven runs. The youngster conceded a four on the second delivery and dismissed Asif on the fourth ball with a spectacular yorker. But Iftikhar Ahmed scored two runs on the next delivery to guide Pakistan to a deserving win at the Dubai International Stadium.

Pakistan registered a deserving five-wicket win after impressive performances from Mohammad Rizwan and Mohammad Nawaz as the Indian bowlers struggled to defend 182. Arshdeep's bowling coach Jaswant Rai has come to the player's rescue and said that dropping catches is part of the game and fans should stop trolling the player.

“I didn’t expect something like this. He shouldn’t have been trolled for the drop catch. It’s a part of the game and India still had the chance to win the match. Pakistani batters should be appreciated for the way they played. I request people to watch the game with passion and not troll players,” Jaswant Rai told India Today.

He will come back stronger in the next match: Jaswant Rai

Arshdeep took two wickets against Pakistan in the group stage fixture has taken 13 wickets in nine T20I matches so far. His coach also stated that the same people praised the youngster for his performance in the opening match. Rai also believes that the player will not get distracted by the trolling will perform better in the next match. 

“People are emotional about cricket in India, especially when it’s about a high-voltage match against Pakistan. Winning and losing are part and parcel of a game. The same people praised Arshdeep after he got two wickets in the opening game. Making an issue of a dropped catch is wrong. He is young and I don’t think he will get distracted by the trolling. He will come back stronger and will perform better in the next match," he added.

India next face Sri Lanka in their second Super 4 clash of the 2022 Asia Cup on September 6 at Dubai International Stadium. India are favorites to win against Sri Lanka and Afghanistan and reach the finals which is scheduled on 11th of September.