Will Arshdeep Singh get picked in the playing XI? Dinesh Karthik's blunt response to India's combination for 2nd T20I

The decision to bench Arshdeep Singh in the series opener put skipper Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir under the scanner.

Dinesh Karthik believes India might once again leave out Arshdeep Singh for the second T20I, favouring Harshit Rana at No. 8 to bolster their batting depth, especially with Nitish Kumar Reddy sidelined for the first three games due to injury. The decision to bench Arshdeep in the series opener put skipper Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir under the scanner as they faced heat for not playing India's leading wicket-taker in T20Is. However, Rana, who was picked over him, didn't get tested as the match was washed out due to persistent rain.

Arshdeep Singh didn't get picked in the XI for the first T20I against Australia. (AP)

Even though Arshdeep Singh remains India’s only bowler to claim more than 100 wickets in T20Is, he has found it difficult to hold a regular place in the playing XI. During the Asia Cup, he was largely benched, appearing only in the inconsequential games against Oman and Sri Lanka when Jasprit Bumrah was rested.

Meanwhile, when Karthik was asked whether Arshdeep would find a place in the XI in the second T20I, he bluntly stated that India would continue with the same line-up from Canberra.

"No. As much as I like the show to be long, no. I don’t think they will make any changes because Nitish Kumar Reddy is not there, so they want to play Harshit Rana at No.8 to get that batting," Karthik said on Cricbuzz.

Australia to stick with same XI from first T20I: Karthik

The former wicketkeeper batter further shared his thoughts on Australia’s likely strategy for the next ODI, suggesting that the visitors are expected to retain their winning combination. He explained why dropping players after a good performance can create uncertainty and why consistency in selection remains crucial for team balance and confidence.

"If you look at them, Josh Hazlewood is obviously going to play one game, so it’s going to be the same. The one change they might be tempted is if looking at Bartlett, if they can bring in a left-arm option which I don’t think they will do, considering how well he bowled in the second ODI. So, I think they will also play the same eleven. Don’t think you can tell much. If you go after this game and drop a player and say we are moving on, ‘he will say why?’ Then you don’t have anywhere to go," he added.