Ravichandran Ashwin snatches 'India's premier bowler' tag from Jasprit Bumrah, gives it to...

Former India National Cricket Team off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has snatched the 'premier T20 bowler' tag from Jasprit Bumrah and handed it to the left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh.

Ravichandran Ashwin has also urged the Gautam Gambhir-led team management to retain the left-arm pacer in the playing XI for the Asia Cup 2025 final against the Pakistan National Cricket Team.

Arshdeep Singh showcases bowling brilliance vs Sri Lanka

The Punjab pacer Arshdeep is the leading wicket-taker for Team India in T20I cricket and the first-ever Indian bowler to take 100 wickets in T20 Internationals.

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Ahead of the start of the Asia Cup 2025, each and every expert predicted that he would be starting in the India playing XI to form a deadly pace-bowling duo with Jasprit Bumrah.

But the Indian team management took a shocking decision and picked Jasprit Bumrah as the only specialist pacer and paired him with Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube as other seamers.

Meanwhile, Arshdeep Singh got to play the match against Oman when Bumrah was rested, and he returned with figures of 1/37. Then, he made it to the side in the dead-rubber match against Sri Lanka, where he ended up with figures of 1/46.

His figures against Sri Lanka don't actually depict how good he was as the pacer gave away just 11 runs in the penultimate over, leaving 12 runs to be defended in the final over.

Then, Arshdeep Singh bowled the Super Over, where he gave away just two runs and bagged two wickets to guarantee India a victory in the thrilling match.

I would stick my neck out and say he is India's premier bowler in this format - Ravichandran Ashwin

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Ash Ki Baat', Ravichandran Ashwin said that having Arshdeep Singh in the playing XI is absolutely mandatory and labelled him as India's premier T20 bowler.

"Even before the start of the Asia Cup, I was saying that Arshdeep Singh is mandatory in the playing XI. He once again proved my point. What a terrific finish to the game, the way with which he bowled the Super Over, he reiterated why he's mandatory. In this game, Jasprit Bumrah wasn't there, which is a huge loss. Arshdeep Singh has once again given a great account of himself," said Ravichandran Ashwin.

"He showed why he is one of India's premier bowlers. When Jasprit Bumrah is there in the side, people won't talk much about Arshdeep, but I would stick my neck out and say he is India's premier bowler in this format," Ravichandran Ashwin added.

He has taken 100 wickets - Ravichandran Ashwin

The legendary off-spinner added that Arshdeep Singh has time and again shown his brilliance and has already bagged 100 wickets, which displays his bowling prowess in the format.

Ashwin urged the Gautam Gambhir-led team management not to mistreat Arshdeep Singh and give him a permanent position in Team India's T20I playing XI at No.8.

"He has taken 100 wickets, and he has once again proven why he is very good. The No.8 slot has to be Arshdeep Singh; you cannot leave him out," said Ashwin.

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