Last Updated:November 01, 2025, 08:10 IST
R Ashwin has begged Gautam Gambhir and India to give Arshdeep Singh more T20I chances, saying it was ‘not about Harshit Rana’.
Arshdeep Singh is India’s highest-wicket taker in T20Is. (Picture Credit: AFP)
Recently retired India spinner R Ashwin has urged Gautam Gambhir and the Indian team management to give pacer Arshdeep Singh the chances he deserves in T20Is. He clarified that it wasn’t even about Harshit Rana — the all-rounder who has replaced Arshdeep in the ongoing rubber in Australia — but only about how the Punjab Kings pacer was the best after Jasprit Bumrah in the team and is losing rhythm on the bench.
Ashwin’s remarks came hot on the heels of India’s big loss to Australia in the second T20I. The visitors were bowled out for just 125, and even though the bowlers put up a fight, taking six wickets, the hosts chased the total down in under 14 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the series (first match was washed off).
Rana was sent in at number seven, ahead of the much more experienced Shivam Dube, when India were going through a collapse, and scored a steady but ultimately low-impact 35 (33). He opened the attack with the new ball and went wicketless in two overs, conceding 27 runs.
“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 XI in this side. I don’t really get it. 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.”
Prefering batting depth over specialists, x-factor bowlers have been the hallmark of Gambhir’s coaching era. It began in Tests but has seeped into ODIs and T20Is as well.
Rana, a bowling all-rounder with the ability to hit big sixes, has been the biggest beneficiary of that, which has brought some unfounded criticism his way, too. But players like Arshdeep, the highest wicket-taker for India in T20Is, and Kuldeep Yadav have been on the wrong side of the change.
Arshdeep’s case hasn’t been helped by Hardik Pandya’s injury either, prompting the team to look to augment the batting lineup in other ways. But Ashwin is worried about the left-arm quick.
“We saw in the Asia Cup, he bowled well, he came back very well in the spell but he looked rusty,” he said of the Punjabi. “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 will be played on Sunday, November 2.
First Published:
November 01, 2025, 08:10 IST
News cricket Ashwin Pleads To Gambhir: ‘Please Play Arshdeep Singh; Of Course Harshit Rana…’Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
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