Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting believes that India seamer Arshdeep Singh is the best choice to replace the injured Jasprit Bumrah in the playing XI for the upcoming Champions Trophy. While India named Harshit Rana as Bumrah’s replacement in the squad, Ponting feels Arshdeep Singh is better suited to lead the attack in Jasprit Bumrah’s absence.
Jasprit Bumrah’s injury left a significant gap in India’s bowling unit, raising concerns about who will step up to anchor the attack in a tournament where India will be aiming to end their long wait for an ODI silverware. Despite initially being named in India’s 15-man squad, Bumrah was ruled out of the tournament due to a back injury sustained during the Sydney Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Arshdeep Singh’s excellent performance in T20I World Cup 2024 and his stellar performance in international cricket
India pacer Arshdeep Singh had an excellent outing in the T20 World Cup 2024, where he finished as the joint-highest wicket-taker with 17 scalps to his name. India won the T20 World Cup 2024 by defeating South Africa in the final in Barbados on June 29. Apart from Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah was one of the primary reasons for India’s T20 World Cup win. Bumrah picked 15 wickets in the tournament at economy of 4.17 and earned the Player of the Tournament award.
Together, Arshdeep Singh and Bumrah bowled excellently well with the new ball at the start and then came back to choke the opposition in the death overs as well. Arshdeep Singh made his T20I debut for India on July 10, 2022, against England in Southampton and has played 52 matches in the shortest format so far, in addition to making six ODI appearances for the Men in Blue. With 79 wickets to his name, the Punjab-based cricketer is the fifth-leading wicket-taker for India in T20Is.
Arshdeep made his T20I debut for India on July 10, 2022, against England in Southampton and has played 52 matches in the shortest format so far, in addition to making six ODI appearances for the Men in Blue. With 79 wickets to his name, the Punjab-based cricketer is the fifth-leading wicket-taker for India in T20Is.
Arshdeep Singh played a big role in helping India end the 11-year wait for an ICC trophy last month by finishing as the leading wicket-taker in the T20 World Cup 2024. The 25-year-old left-arm pacer picked up 17 wickets in eight matches for the Men in Blue and helped them become T20 World Cup winners again after 17 years. After India’s win in the T20 World Cup 2024, Arshdeep Singh expressed his desire to play Test cricket for India. He has played 16 first-class matches so far and has picked up 49 wickets.
Among the biggest talking points around India going into the start of the 2025 Champions Trophy is who they would field alongside Mohammed Shami in the fast bowling department now that Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out. While Harshit Rana had been announced as Bumrah’s replacement in the squad, Australia great Ricky Ponting has said that Arshdeep Singh should be taking up that slot during the games.
Harshit has shown promise across all formats, becoming one of the few bowlers to claim three-wicket hauls on his Test, ODI, and T20I debuts. He picked up 3/48 on his Test debut against Australia in Perth, followed by 3/33 against England in his first T20I in Pune, and 3/53 in his maiden ODI against England in Nagpur. However, his tendency to concede runs in the powerplay could be a concern for India against stronger opposition in the Champions Trophy.
Arshdeep Singh, on the other hand, impressed with a tidy 2/33 in his only ODI against England in Ahmedabad. Though he has limited ODI experience, his T20I performances have cemented him as a reliable white-ball bowler. His ability to swing the new ball and execute yorkers at the death makes him a strong contender for the role in Bumrah’s absence.
Arshdeep Singh beats Harshit Rana to take Jasprit Bumrah’s place in Champions Trophy 2025 for Ricky Ponting
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has shared his views on Jasprit Bumrah’s replacement in Team India’s playing eleven for Champions Trophy 2025. Ponting strongly feels Arshdeep Singh should replace Bumrah, given how the left-arm seamer has a similar skill set to Bumrah.
The ace bowler will miss the eight-team event due to a back injury he sustained during the five-Test tour of Australia. Arshdeep, who has played only nine ODIs so far, is one of the three pacers in the squad alongside Mohammed Shami and Harshit Rana.
Speaking on the latest episode of the ICC Review, the Tasmanian said Harshit Rana has plenty of talent but his death-bowling is not in the same breath as Arshdeep. He elaborated:
“I would go with the left-armer and I’d go with Arshdeep (to replace Bumrah). We know how good he’s been in T20 cricket and if you think about the skill set, he probably provides a similar skill set to what Bumrah does with new ball and death overs and that’s what India will miss.”
“That’s taking nothing away from Harshit Rana because I think he has got a lot of talent and we know what he can do with the new ball, but I don’t think his death skills are as good as what Arshdeep Singh’s are.”
In nine ODIs, Arshdeep Singh has claimed 14 scalps at an average of 23 and played only in the final game of the three-game series against England recently at home. His List A record is promising, picking up 55 scalps in 33 matches, averaging 24.30. The 26-year-old has been outstanding for India in T20Is, taking 99 scalps in 63 games, and is their leading wicket-taker in the format.
Ponting feels if any team has the talent pool to replace a player of Bumrah’s caliber, it’s India as the 50-year-old added:
“I think we all felt that they were going to be one of the main dangers anyway. Even with Bumrah not being there, I mean, yes, it’s very hard to replace someone like that. But if any team can do it with the amount of talent that the Indians have got, it might be them.”
Team India will open their campaign against Bangladesh on February 20 and will play all their matches in Dubai.