After establishing himself as a mainstay for India in the shortest format of cricket, Arshdeep Singh will take his first steps towards cementing his place in the red-ball format. With Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar hinting at the possibility of Jasprit Bumrah’s unavailability for all five Tests, the 26-year-old Arshdeep Singh stands a chance of enchanting the spectators with his mastery of the art of swing.
Apart from his exploits in the T20Is, Arshdeep Singh has been a silent hero in India’s domestic red-ball circuit. In 21 first-class fixtures, Arshdeep has tormented the opposition and scalped 66 wickets to establish his supremacy.The 26-year-old Arshdeep Singh is India’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is. However, he has never had the opportunity to represent the national team in the red-ball format. This, however, might change next month as he has been named in India’s 18-man squad for the upcoming five-match Test series against England.
Arshdeep Singh’s excellent performance in T20I and ODI format for India
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 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 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 expressed his desire to play Test cricket for India. He has played 16 first-class matches so far and has picked up 49 wickets.
Arshdeep Singh’s domestic red-ball record includes 66 wickets in 21 first-class matches, and he has been a consistent performer in India’s T20I setup. With uncertainties surrounding the availability of senior pacers like Jasprit Bumrah,it was a certainity that Arshdeep Singh was due for his red ball debut in England .
However an injury on his hand while in a net session, resulted in a delayed debut for Arshdeep Singh n red ball as the left arm pacer didn’t appeared in any of the 5 Test matches. Former Indian player Arun Lal fumed over this non exclusion of Arshdeep Singh has questioned the same to the Indian team management.
Anshul Kamboj played before Arshdeep Singh- Arun Lal
Former India cricketer Arun Lal has said that a player from outside the 16-member team was flown in to England to play in the five-Test series even when Arshdeep Singh was travelling with the squad, adding that he found India’s team selection difficult to understand at times. Kamboj was added to the team midway through the tour, ahead of the fourth Test in Manchester. Kamboj had a hard international debut in the Manchester Test, finishing with disappointing figures of 1/89 in 18 overs.
“On this trip, Arshdeep [Singh] was in the squad. But a player from outside of the 16-member squad [Anshul Kamboj] was flown in and played before him. I find that very difficult to understand,” Lal said while speaking to RevSportz.Â
“Maybe his (Arshdeep’s) form in the nets and side matches was not that good in the beginning. I was not there, so I cannot comment,” Lal added.Â
Kamboj’s struggles were a major factor in India conceding a huge 669 runs to England in their sole innings of the Manchester Test.Arshdeep Singh’s domestic red-ball record includes 66 wickets in 21 first-class matches, and he has been a consistent performer in India’s T20I setup. With uncertainties surrounding the availability of senior pacers like Jasprit Bumrah, it is worth mentioning that in future Arshdeep Singh could be a viable option for Team India in near future in Red ball cricket.
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