Indian star Arshdeep Singh took a dig at Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir for dropping him from the Indian T20 squad for giving excessive preference to all-rounders in the team.
Ever since Gautam Gambhir took charge of the Indian team, left-arm fast bowler Arshdeep Singh has been dropped from the Indian playing eleven. The left-arm fast bowler is the most successful T20I bowler for India, as he became the first Indian to take 100 wickets in the shortest format of the game.
Recently, in the Asian Continental Championship, Arshdeep played only two games for India, first against Oman in the group stage and later against Sri Lanka in the final Super-4 game. He bowled a brilliant 19th in the game as well as a super-over which won the match for India.
Arshdeep Singh trolls Gautam Gambhir on Gaurav Kapoor’s podcast
The left-arm fast bowler made his debut for India in 2022 and has played only 67 matches for India. He became the first Indian to take 100 wickets for Team India. Arshdeep was also the best performer for India in the ICC T20 World Cup and was the highest wicket taker in the tournament.
Although he is India’s most successful bowler in the shortest format of the game, Gambhir has mostly left him out of the Indian playing XI as he is not known to have sweeping abilities with the bat. Gambhir has preferred all-rounders and often Harshit Rana over experienced left-handed players.
Currently, Gambhir is facing heavy criticism for the selection of Harshit Rana in all formats despite his weak performances in recent times.
Gaurav Kapoor featured Arshdeep as a guest on his podcast, as he said, “I had the No. 1 ICC T20I batsman Abhishek Sharma on this show; now you (Arshdeep Singh), the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year, are here.”
Arshdeep Singh said in a light-hearted manner, “Your show will be trending.”
Arshdeep Singh said, “Your show can also be an all-rounder show, anyway all-rounders are in great demand these days.” The comment was indirectly a dig at head coach Gautam Gambhir, who often prefers bowlers who can also score useful runs in the death overs and hence has kept Arshdeep away from the playing eleven.
“Are you counting yourself as an all-rounder?” Gaurav questioned Arshdeep.
“I’m basically a pinch hitter, because I’ve hit a few sixes, if my captain is listening,” Arshdeep added to the controversy with his recent statements, also attracting the attention of Suryakumar Yadav.
Arshdeep Singh ignored after being named ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year
Arshdeep featured for India in the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and played a prominent role in the Caribbean and USA in June. The 25-year-old fast bowler was largely trusted for his abilities since his debut in 2022.
2024 was the year when Arshdeep Singh fully established himself as a world-class bowler in T20 International cricket. In the year, he took 36 wickets in 18 T20I matches at an average of 15.31 and finished the year with an economy rate of 7.49.
He was named the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year by the ICC, but after that, he was dropped from the Indian team and is still waiting for his fair chance in all formats.
Arshdeep Singh selected for ODI and T20 tour of Australia
Arshdeep has been selected for the upcoming tour of Australia for the T20I as well as ODI series. The upcoming tour holds immense importance for the Indian team ahead of the next ICC T20 World Cup in 2026 and the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup.
The left-arm pacer may finally get a proper chance in Australian conditions, as he could be paired with Jasprit Bumrah in the T20I squad, while he could also be paired with Mohammed Siraj in the ODI series.
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