Punjab Kings pacer Arshdeep Singh has remained calm despite social media criticism over his remarks in a viral video involving Tilak Varma, according to Punjab Kings head of sports science Andrew Leipus.Punjab Kings are under pressure after five straight defeats, which have left their playoff hopes hanging by a thread. PBKS must now win their remaining matches against Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Lucknow Super Giants to stay in contention.The poor run has also come amid social media attention around Arshdeep. The left-arm pacer faced criticism after a clip surfaced in which he called out Tilak by saying, “Oye andhere,” with some fans accusing him of “casual racism.”A day later, Arshdeep was again in the spotlight after replying to a fan who had asked PBKS to remove Punjab from their name. The pacer responded by saying he could not take advice from people who still take money from their family to buy chips and cold drinks.Ahead of PBKS’ clash against RCB, Andrew Leipus said the criticism had not affected Arshdeep’s mindset.“I don’t follow a lot of social media myself, so I know there has been a bit of chatter behind the scenes of various things going on, vlogging and whatnot. I am not across that,” Leipus told reporters in the pre-match press conference, as quoted by Hindustan Times.“In terms of his behaviour, Arsh is pretty much a flat line. He isn’t up or down. He gives his best out there. We have been working together a little bit and looking at his body, there may be restrictions that could be a reason for some of his performances being up and down,” Leipus added.Leipus said Arshdeep’s behaviour in the dressing room has remained unchanged.“He is a very loud person in the dressing room. That has not changed. He isn’t up and down. He is very calm. I am old. I don’t really partake in a lot of social media. You can check my name out there,” Leipus said.The PBKS staff member also said Arshdeep continues to play a leadership role within the squad.“He’s still incredibly confident and positive, leading from the front on and off the field. He’s a very sociable guy, he doesn’t stand apart from anyone else. He’s in the mix, he’s at breakfast with everyone,” Leipus said.“So from that perspective, they keep a lid on all the anxieties that might develop when the pressure’s on, which is fantastic. We’ve got quite a young team and they’re hopefully picking up on those vibes and staying calm. That calmness at the top and the lack of fluctuation in behaviour is very positive.”
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