Arshdeep Singh snub should make bowlers angry: R Ashwin hits out ahead of India vs Pakistan

India's specialist T20I pacer Arshdeep Singh's exclusion from the playing XI has left Ravichandran Ashwin fuming ahead of the India vs Pakistan match in the Asia Cup. Previewing the game on his YouTube channel, Ashwin made a sharp quip about the bowlers, stating that Arshdeep's exclusion from the side should infuriate the bowling community.

The Indian T20I team, under the coaching of Gautam Gambhir, has shown an affinity towards one extra batter, who can roll their arm over if needed. This has meant that India play with both Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube in the playing XI, with only one specialist pacer operating in the line-up.

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With Jasprit Bumrah returning to the T20I fray, Arshdeep sat out India's Asia Cup 2025 opener against UAE. He is likely to miss out on the Pakistan match as well. The exclusion has not sat right with Ashwin, who recently called time on his international and Indian Premier League career.

“Arshdeep has to come into the playing XI. In my view, if you can lock Shubman Gill as opener, Suryakumar Yadav at No. 4 and Jasprit Bumrah at No. 11, then why can't someone who has been your best T20 bowler be locked? These rules for batters and bowlers have always been an issue in my head,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

“These decisions pertaining to bowlers are sometimes taken by batters. These batters have never bowled a ball in their entire life. Bowlers are doing that forever. It is hard for the batters to understand the mindset of the bowlers. Think about the confidence in the bowlers. If you are consistently parking him out of the side because you want a No. 8, then think what he would go through. He is in a purple patch and bowling well. He is not going to get these wonderful years back,” he added.

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India's Highest Wickettaker Sitting Out

Arshdeep Singh is currently the highest wicket-taker in the T20I format for India. The pacer has been stuck at 99 T20I wickets since the conclusion of the team's T20I series against England. The left-arm fast bowler has not seen any lapse in form. He led the Punjab Kings bowling unit in the Indian Premier League and picked up 21 wickets from 17 matches, finishing as the 5th highest wicket-taker of the tournament last season.

After arguing for the inclusion of Arshdeep, Ashwin gave a broader message to the cricketers out there, stating that the bowlers should be angry at the way they are being treated at the moment.

"If someone has the talent, then you should work with them. It shouldn't be the case of him sitting out and Dube playing because he is a batter and can bowl a bit. In T20 cricket, bowling a good four-over spell can result in you winning the competition,” Ashwin added.

“Why are you writing his destiny, just because he can't bat? I want to say this to the bowling community. If we don't have pride within our community, then no one would take us seriously. If we are made to sit out, then we should be angry,” concluded the spinner.

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India are unlikely to make any changes to their winning combination from the UAE game. If India win against Pakistan, they will qualify for the Super 4 stage of the tournament.

India vs Pakistan starts at 8 pm IST at the Dubai International Stadium.