Indian left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh was at the centre of a strange mix of heroics and unwanted history in the fifth T20I against New Zealand in Thiruvananthapuram. The left-arm pacer finished with figures of 5/51, the most expensive five-wicket haul in men's T20I cricket, yet his strikes were decisive in India's 46-run triumph.
Arshdeep's outing was a contrasting tale of two spells. After being taken apart early, giving away 17 in his first over and 23 in the next, he bounced back brilliantly in his second spell, removing key Kiwi batters including Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Kyle Jamieson and Daryl Mitchell. The comeback was sensational, and his five-wicket haul came at crucial stages to stall New Zealand's chase.
While a five-wicket haul in T20Is is rare and match-changing, Arshdeep's figures also went down for an unwanted reason, his 5/51 spell is now the costliest five-for in T20I history. Previously, that mark was held by West Indies' Alzarri Joseph, who had conceded 5/40 vs South Africa at Joburg 2023. South Africa's Lungi Ngidi held the second spot with a spell of 5/39 vs England at Bristol 2022
