‘Since Gambhir took over, Arshdeep has been dropped’ - India veteran critiques team selection

Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin expressed his displeasure over the omission of Arshdeep Singh from India’s Asia Cup 2025 opener against the UAE on September 10. The left-arm pacer has an impressive record, with 99 T20I wickets at a remarkable strike rate of 13.23 in just 63 matches. He is also the highest wicket-taker for India in the format.

Ashwin criticized head coach Gautam Gambhir’s decision, pointing out that Arshdeep’s exclusion has become a recurring trend under his leadership, even though the performances haven't been disappointing at all. Despite the controversy, the Men in Blue registered a dominant nine-wicket victory, bowling out the UAE for just 57 runs before chasing down the target in only 4.3 overs.

“It’s surprising that Arshdeep has been dropped, but it’s not a new thing. Has been happening since Gautam Gambhir started coaching. Arshdeep did not play the entire Champions Trophy as well. It has been a bit of a theme. Maybe considering Dubai conditions, they are preferring spinners. When Gambhir won the title for KKR, he was also going all-out on spin,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

In 2025, Arshdeep missed only one home series for India, as he was not included in the five-match T20I series against England. In three T20Is played this year so far, the left-arm pacer has claimed four wickets, and also picked up two wickets in his solitary ODI appearance. He was part of the squad that travelled to Dubai for the Champions Trophy, but opportunities once again eluded him, with Harshit Rana and Mohammed Shami preferred ahead of him to take the field.

“This is the theme that we could see until the T20 World Cup. But I doubt this combination can work against a good team. It’s quite risky. Arshdeep is a big performer. He was phenomenal in the World Cup against South Africa. To keep a man like that out for a very long time is going to be hard. I know Shivam Dube took a few wickets, but this is not a bowling combination I would be convinced with,” Arshdeep said.

Despite being the leading wicket-taker in the format, the Guna-born was left out as India opted for a deeper batting line-up. The team went in with only three specialist bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, and Kuldeep Yadav, while relying on the all-round abilities of Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, and Shivam Dube to balance the side.