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Arshdeep Singh is India’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is. In 65 matches, he has picked up 101 wickets so far.
Arshdeep Singh is not playing in 1st India-Australia T20I. (Picture Credit: PTI)
Arshdeep Singh is India’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is. The left-arm pacer from Punjab has 101 wickets to his credit in 65 T20I matches played so far. But despite his super record in the 20-over format of the game, he failed to find a place in India’s playing XI for the first T20I of the ongoing five-match series against Australia. In his place, the Indian team management has preferred to play Harshit Rana in the series opener at Manuka Oval in Canberra.
The Indian team management’s decision to bench Arshdeep for Harshit has come as a shock for fans, who on X have slammed the call.
The number of countries that’d leave their highest wicket taker in a format out of the XI so consistently with a World Cup coming up in four months is very limited. Arshdeep deserves better treatment. #AUSvIND— Priyank Panchal (@PKpanchal09) October 29, 2025
Arshdeep singh our best t20i fast bowler is not playing . Gautam gambhir is destroying 4 carriers just to make one. Illogical selection. https://t.co/zAI5Bd1BI8— That Indian Lad (@chiraggg403) October 29, 2025
Arshdeep Singh’s snub from a T20I playing XI in any condition will NEVER EVER make sense to me #INDvsAUS— Akshita Patel (@Akshitapatel09) October 29, 2025
Arshdeep Singh literally played a stellar role with 4-20-2 in Final of 2024 WC, and has 100 T20I wickets. MW in his own way. After ODIs now in T20Is too, he’s left out for Harshit.UNREAL obssession and delusion, for few balls of batting in a T20I.
— Indrajit.Ghose (@IndrajitGhose6) October 29, 2025
So Arshdeep, India’s 2nd best T2OI pacer doesn’t play in Asia Cup because it was spin friendly conditions. And he doesn’t find a place in Australia too where you get pace and bounce. Clowns of highest level.— Cricket Vibes_Arjav (@IamArjav) October 29, 2025
I am watching Indian Cricket since 18 years but never seen this level of blatant favouritism in Indian Cricket where performers who are at their peak getting dropped for coach’s franchise parchis.Arshdeep is not in team after taking highest wickets at T2OI WC 2024. Shame!!
— Rajiv (@Rajiv1841) October 29, 2025
Arshdeep was dropped from India’s playing XI for the third ODI as well last week. In Arshdeep’s absence, Harshit picked up 4 wickets for 39 runs.
Playing XIs
India: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (WK), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah
Australia: Mitchell Marsh (C), Travis Head, Josh Inglis (WK), Tim David, Mitchell Owen, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Philippe, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Josh Hazlewood
Canberra, Australia
October 29, 2025, 13:45 IST
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