Follow UsFormer Indian spin-bowling all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has backed Arshdeep Singh for a place in India’s Playing XI at the ongoing Asia Cup 2025. Not many expected Arshdeep to miss out, but the left-arm quick was left on the bench for India’s tournament opener against the UAE in Dubai.
Instead, the Men in Blue went in with three spinners - Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel - alongside a single frontline pacer in Jasprit Bumrah. Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube were preferred as fast-bowling all-rounders.
“Arshdeep deserves a place in the playing XI. If you can lock Shubman Gill as opener, Suryakumar Yadav at No. 4 and Jasprit Bumrah at No. 11, then why can’t the best T20 bowler also be guaranteed a spot? These decisions have always bothered me,” Ashwin, who recently retired from international cricket and the IPL, said on his YouTube channel.
Arshdeep’s numbers in T20Is strengthen Ashwin’s argument - he has taken more wickets than Bumrah and boasts a superior strike rate (13.2 vs 16.9). Earlier this year, under Gautam Gambhir’s team management, the 25-year-old was also denied a Test debut during India’s five-match series in England.
“Many of these decisions are made by batters who have never bowled a ball in their life. Bowlers have spent years perfecting their craft, yet their confidence is affected when they are consistently left out. Arshdeep is in peak form, performing well in the IPL and international cricket. He won’t get these years back,” Ashwin pointed out.
He further stressed the importance of valuing bowlers in T20 cricket: “If a player has talent, he deserves to play. Sitting out just because he isn’t a batter is not fair. In T20 cricket, a strong four-over spell can decide the match. Bowlers must be proud of their craft and not accept being sidelined quietly.”
India brushed aside the UAE with a nine-wicket win, chasing down the 58-run target with 93 balls to spare. Their next challenge is a high-voltage clash against Pakistan in Dubai on September 14 (Sunday).