Why Is Arshdeep Singh Not Included in India Playing XI for IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 Clash?

Following the England Test series and now the Asia Cup 2025 fixture against Pakistan, Arshdeep Singh continues to be left out of the playing combination for India. The left-armer stands ninth in the ICC T20I Bowling rankings. But with veterans like Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya in the mix, the 26-year-old is having a tough time breaking into the playing combination.

After an emphatic win against the hosts, the UAE, India won their first match of the tournament in Dubai. Pakistan also won their opening fixture against Oman two nights back. Despite the boycott requests from fans, India will play against its arch-rivals amid severe border tensions from a few months ago.

Why is Arshdeep Singh not playing in IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025?

Notably, India played all their Champions Trophy 2025 matches earlier this year at the same venue, while the rest of the tournament took place in Pakistan. During the pre-match press conference on Saturday, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate spoke about the pitch conditions and team changes.

“I don’t think we gained much information from the first game, and even the other games at the stadium. There hasn’t been too much to take away from it. So, unlikely to make changes,” declared Doeschate.

Thus, India are beginning their match with Bumrah and Hardik handling the pace department. Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, and Axar Patel are the primary spinners. Additionally, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma, and Abhishek Sharma can also chip in with a few overs if needed.

Playing XIs for IND vs PAK in Asia Cup 2025

India: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson(w), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy

Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris(w), Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha(c), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed

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Who is responsible for Arshdeep Singh’s continued omission from India playing XI?

Factually speaking, no one.

The Punjab pacer has proven himself time and again. He is on the verge of creating history, as he is just one wicket away from becoming the first Indian to complete 100 T20I wickets. Barring the economy rate, Arshdeep’s T20I stats surpass Bumrah’s. The sheer choice of playing an extra batter, as well as using three spinners for the Dubai decks, has led to Arshdeep’s absence from the playing combination.

The 26-year-old has returned wicketless just 10 times in his T20I career of 63 games. Against Pakistan, Arshdeep has scalped seven wickets in four appearances, including a three-wicket haul.

The left-armer is also a death over specialist, which means Bumrah’s workload in the 20-over format can be managed better in Arshdeep’s presence.

Overall, the young pacer has no reason to warm the benches. It’s just a choice by the team management with respect to the playing conditions.

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