Arshdeep Singh's Attempt To 'Finish In Style' Leads To Flood Of Memes After IND-SL ODI Tie

Arshdeep Singh memes have taken over social media after his failed attempt to secure a win for India in the first ODI against Sri Lanka. The match, held at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on August 2, saw India needing just one run from 14 balls with one wicket remaining.

With only one run required for victory, Arshdeep was trapped LBW by Charith Asalanka on the penultimate delivery of the 48th over. This resulted in a tie for the three-match series opener. Fans trolled Arshdeep for his careless act of aiming for a big shot instead of a single.

Fans compared Arshdeep's attempt to MS Dhoni's memorable six in the 2011 World Cup final. Memes flooded social media, highlighting the left-arm pacer's failure to connect with the ball and getting out for a golden duck.

Raja Babu (@GaurangBhardwa1) August 2, 2024

Some fans even humorously dubbed him "Arshdeep Singh Devilliers," comparing him to South African legend AB de Villiers. Others likened the incident to Shannon Gabriel's mishap with West Indies in a Test match.

While many trolled Arshdeep, some fans defended him, arguing that the batting unit as a whole had failed. They imagined head coach Gautam Gambhir's reaction in the dressing room post-match.

India began their chase of 231 runs strongly, with openers Rohit Sharma (58 off 47 balls) and Shubman Gill (16 off 35 balls) putting up a 75-run partnership. Contributions also came from Virat Kohli (24 off 32 balls) and Shreyas Iyer (24 off 23 balls).

Collapse and Recovery

The team faced a sudden collapse after Kohli and Iyer were dismissed. KL Rahul and Axar Patel then steadied the innings but fell quickly, exposing India's lower order to Sri Lanka's spin attack.

At 189/6 in 39.4 overs, skipper Asalanka removed Axar Patel for 33 runs off 57 balls. Shivam Dube hit a fine six to help India reach the 200-run mark by the end of the 41st over.

Dramatic Finish

Dube and Kuldeep Yadav brought India close to victory before Asalanka trapped Dube LBW for 25 runs off 24 balls. With just one run needed from 14 balls and one wicket remaining, Arshdeep was trapped LBW by Asalanka on his first ball.

The match ended in a tie, with Asalanka (3/30) and Hasaranga (3/58) being standout bowlers for Sri Lanka. The dramatic finish left fans buzzing on social media with mixed reactions and plenty of memes.