Fast bowler Arshdeep Singh isn’t just the only Indian bowler to reach 100 T20I wickets — a milestone he achieved during the Asia Cup — but also the country’s leading wicket-taker in the format. Yet, he hasn’t been a regular feature in India’s T20I setup, often drawing criticism. On Wednesday, the Indian camp finally addressed the burning question, with bowling coach Morne Morkel explaining that with limited matches before next February’s T20 World Cup, the management wants to test how different players handle pressure.
On Sunday, Arshdeep made a sensational return to T20I cricket, taking three wickets for 35 runs in India’s series-levelling win over Australia in Hobart and earning the Player of the Match award. It was his first appearance in the five-match series, and his first T20I since the Super Four clash against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup in September, which was only his second game in the continental tournament.
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“It is not easy,” said Morkel of Arshdeep, who has 104 wickets in his career, six more than second-placed Jasprit Bumrah. “There will always be disappointment in terms of players and selection, but that is something at times that, as a player, is uncontrollable.”
“For us, from our side, we just keep on asking them to work hard and try hard and be ready for when they do get the opportunity. There are limited games now leading into the T20 World Cup, so it is essential for us to see how the players can react in certain situations under pressure; otherwise, it will be unknown to us. So it is a bit of playing those sorts of games and then still having the mindset to win the game of cricket,” added the former South Africa fast bowler.
{{/usCountry}}“For us, from our side, we just keep on asking them to work hard and try hard and be ready for when they do get the opportunity. There are limited games now leading into the T20 World Cup, so it is essential for us to see how the players can react in certain situations under pressure; otherwise, it will be unknown to us. So it is a bit of playing those sorts of games and then still having the mindset to win the game of cricket,” added the former South Africa fast bowler.
{{/usCountry}}India have indicated a preference for Harshit Rana as the second pace option after Bumrah in T20Is, largely due to his ability with the bat down the order, and are ready to back the Delhi lad fully. In fact, in the second T20I against Australia in Melbourne, Rana was sent ahead of Shivam Dube, and he scored a 38-ball 35.
In the five matches thus far in his T20I career, since his debut in January 2025, Rana has picked up five wickets at an economy rate of over 10.