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Ravichandran Ashwin, one of the greatest spinners India has ever produced, advised head coach Gautam Gambhir once again to keep Arshdeep Singh in the playing XI for the upcoming Asia Cup final against Pakistan on Sunday at the Dubai International Stadium. The left-arm pacer, who is India’s leading T20I wicket-taker, has played just two matches in the eight-team tournament as the management has opted to go in with just one frontline speedster, Jasprit Bumrah, with Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube filling in.
Arshdeep, 26, once again showed the world why he’s highly regarded in the shortest format. He brought India back, ensuring a victory for Suryakumar Yadav’s side in the Super 4s match against Sri Lanka. In the Super Over, Arshdeep Singh conceded just two runs, and India comfortably chased down the target.
Even in the penultimate over of the game in normal time, Arshdeep gave away 11 runs, leaving 12 runs to be defended in the final over. The left-arm pacer nailed his wide yorkers as Sri Lanka batters failed to get under his deliveries.
Speaking on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’, Ashwin said that Arshdeep is “mandatory” in the playing XI and there’s no reason why he should warm the bench in T20Is for India.
“Even before the start of the Asia Cup, I was saying that Arshdeep Singh is mandatory in the playing XI. He once again proved my point. What a terrific finish to the game, the way with which he bowled the Super Over, he reiterated why he’s mandatory. In this game, Jasprit Bumrah wasn’t there, which is a huge loss. Arshdeep Singh has once again given a great account of himself,” said Ashwin.
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“He showed why he is one of India’s premier bowlers. When Jasprit Bumrah is there in the side, people won’t talk much about Arshdeep, but I would stick my neck out and say he is India’s premier bowler in this format,” he added.
‘Arshdeep can’t be left out’
The pacer from Punjab might be India’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is with 101 wickets to his name, but the management has opted to stick with him on the bench in the matches that matter in the Asia Cup, as they have gone in with Shivam Dube and Axar Patel as batting all-rounders.
However, Ashwin believes Arshdeep has no place on the bench and he should be in the starting XI in every T20I for India.
“He has taken 100 wickets, and he has once again proven why he is very good. The No.8 slot has to be Arshdeep Singh; you cannot leave him out,” said Ashwin.
With the win against Sri Lanka, India maintained its unbeaten run in the 2025 Asia Cup, and it remains to be seen whether the team can go all the way in the tournament.
