NEW DELHI: Arshdeep Singh, known for his death-bowling exploits, showed what he is capable of with the bat as he smashed a six when it mattered most to help India A pull off a thrilling two-wicket victory over Australia A in Kanpur on Sunday.

After the match, a light-hearted moment featuring Arshdeep went viral on social media. In a Snapchat clip shared by Arshdeep himself, teammates Abhishek Sharma and Ravi Bishnoi could be seen playfully showering him with praise for his unexpected batting cameo that sealed the series 2-1 in India A's favour.

"Watching you bat reminded me of Chris Gayle," Abhishek joked, leaving the left-arm pacer stunned. Bishnoi quickly joined the banter, adding that his respect for Arshdeep had grown after witnessing him deliver under pressure with the bat. Clearly amused, Arshdeep turned the camera toward himself and quipped with a smile, "You heard it here first."

While the post-match banter went viral, the match itself was a hard-fought affair. Chasing 317, India A were cruising at 262/3 in the 35th over before a collapse saw them lose five wickets for just 39 runs. With the game slipping away, Vipraj Nigam and Arshdeep Singh held their nerve to stitch an unbeaten 21-run stand for the ninth wicket, taking the team home with 24 balls to spare.

Talking about the match, Australia A recovered from an early wobble to post a competitive 316 in 49.1 overs after opting to bat, thanks to skipper Jack Edwards' 89 off 75 balls and an aggressive 73 from Liam Scott.

In reply, India A appeared to be cruising at 262 for three in the 35th over before a sudden collapse saw them slip to 301 for eight, losing five wickets in 57 balls.

But Vipraj Nigam (24 not out off 32 balls; 2x4, 1x6) and Arshdeep Singh (7 not out) held their nerves to complete the chase with 24 balls to spare.