'Arshdeep Singh deserves to play' – R Ashwin lambasts India’s T20I selection

India's pacer Arshdeep Singh was dropped from the playing XI for India’s opening Asia Cup match against the UAE , sparking strong reactions from former India allrounder Ravichandran Ashwin. Speaking on his YouTube channel while previewing the upcoming Pakistan game, Ashwin questioned the logic behind excluding one of India’s best bowlers. Under coach Gautam Gambhir, India’s T20I team has often opted for an extra batter who can bowl if required. This strategy has meant that Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube feature in the XI, leaving just one specialist pacer in the side. With Jasprit Bumrah back in the line-up, Arshdeep had to sit out against the UAE and it now appears he will miss out against Pakistan as well.

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Ashwin, who recently retired from international and IPL cricket, did not hold back.

“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 said. He went on to stress the mental impact such selections have on bowlers. “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.”

Arshdeep, India’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is with 99 scalps, has shown no sign of losing form. In the IPL, he led Punjab Kings’ attack and picked up 21 wickets in 17 matches last season, finishing as the fifth-highest wicket-taker in the tournament. Ashwin urged bowlers to recognise their worth and stand proud. “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,” he said. Despite the debate, India are expected to stick with the same combination that defeated UAE. A win against Pakistan will see them move into the Super 4 stage of the tournament.