‘Please, play him!’: Ashwin questions Team India over Arshdeep Singh’s exclusion from T20I

Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin expressed his surprised at the Indian team management’s decision to leave out Arshdeep Singh from the T20 playing eleven, saying going by his records the left-arm pacer should be the second choice fast bowler after Jasprit Bumrah.

Ashwin feels ignoring a consistent performer like Arshdeep cannot be justified.

Ashwin’s remarks came on the heels of India’s four-wicket loss to Australia in the second T20I in Melbourne.

India were bowled out for just 125, but Australia chased down the total in under 14 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

The first T20 of the five-match series in Canberra was washed out.

“Arshdeep Singh’s name should be the second name on your fast bowlers’ list if Bumrah is playing,” Ashwin said on the Ash ki Baat show on his YouTube channel.

“If Bumrah is not playing, Arshdeep becomes your first bowler on that team list. I just cannot understand how Arshdeep Singh keeps missing out from the eleven in this side. I don’t really get it.”

While Ashwin understands that Harshit Rana added a bit of value with the bat but on a track like MCG, India’s all-time highest wicket-taker in T20Is cannot possibly be kept out of the scheme of things. He feels Arshdeep’s non-selection shouldn’t be mixed with Harshit’s batting prowess.

“Of course, Harshit Rana had a decent day with the bat. He batted decently but this is not about him at all. It’s about Arshdeep Singh. The performance he put in the T20 World Cup in 2024, after that he has consistently found ways to stay out of the team. He has been benched so many times that he has lost a bit of rhythm,” he observed.

Interestingly, Harshit came ahead of experienced Shivam Dube at number seven and scored 35 off 33.

But his contribution as the second pacer after Bumrah was disappointing as he went wicketless, conceding 27 runs in his two overs.

In the Rohit Sharma-Rahul Dravid regime, Arshdeep had become one of India’s most reliable fast bowlers in T20 cricket, and is currently the country’s highest wicket-taker in the format and the first Indian bowler to cross the 100-wicket mark.

“We saw in the Asia Cup, he (Arshdeep) bowled well, he came back very well in the second spell but he looked rusty,” Ashwin said.

“Your champion bowler will look rusty if you don’t play him. So it’s a really tough situation if you are Arshdeep Singh and I really hope he starts getting the place he deserves. He deserves to be there and it’s not about somebody else. He has a place in the team. Please play him,” he added.

The third T20I of the series will be played in Hobart on Sunday.