Watch: Arshdeep Singh publicly attacks Gautam Gambhir over ‘all-rounder obsession’ and T20I snubs, video viral
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Indian star Arshdeep Singh took a dig at Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir for sidelining him from the Indian T20I side due to his overwhelming preference for all-rounders in the team.
Ever since Gautam Gambhir took charge of the Indian team, left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh has been dropped from the Indian playing XI. The left-arm pacer is the most successful T20I bowler for India, as he became the first Indian to have picked 100 wickets in the shortest format of the game.
Recently, in the Asian continental championship, Arshdeep played in only two games for India, the first against Oman in the group stages and later against Sri Lanka in the final Super-4 games. He bowled a stunning 19th as well as a Super-over in the game, which won the match for India.
Arshdeep Singh trolls Gautam Gambhir on Gaurav Kapur's podcast
The left-arm pacer made his debut for India back in 2022 and has just 67 games for India. He went on to be the first Indian to pick 100 wickets for Team India. Arshdeep was also India's finest performer in the ICC T20 World Cup and was the highest wicket-taker in the tournament.
Though he is India's most successful bowler in the shortest format of the game, Gambhir has mostly dropped him from the Indian playing XI since he is not known to possess wide-scale abilities with the bat. Gambhir has rather favored all-rounders and often Harshit Rana over the seasoned left-armer.
Currently, Gambhir is facing immense criticism for the selection of Harshit Rana across all formats despite his weak performances in recent times.
Gaurav Kapur had Arshdeep as a guest in his podcast, as he said, "I had Abhishek Sharma, the no. 1 ICC T20I batter on this show; now you (Arshdeep Singh), the ICC Men's T20I Cricketer of the Year, are here."
"Your show will be trending," Arshdeep Singh remarked lightheartedly.
"Your show can also be an all-rounder show, anyway, all-rounders are much in demand nowadays," said Arshdeep Singh. This remark was an indirect dig at head coach Gautam Gambhir, who has often preferred bowlers who can also score handy runs at the death, and has hence kept Arshdeep away from the playing XI.
"Are you counting yourself as an all-rounder?" Gaurav questioned Arshdeep.
"I am basically a pinch hitter, as I have smashed a few sixes, if my captain is listening to this," Arshdeep further stirred controversy with his recent statements, also drawing Suryakumar Yadav's attention.
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Arshdeep Singh was snubbed after being named the ICC Men's T20I Cricketer of the Year
Arshdeep starred for India in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup of 2024 and played a major role in the Caribbean and USA back in June. The 25-year-old pacer was trusted largely for his abilities since his debut in 2022.
2024 was the year when Arshdeep Singh fully established himself as a world-class bowler in T20 international cricket. In the year, he picked 36 wickets in 18 T20I matches at an average of 15.31 and finished the year with an economy rate of 7.49.
He was named the ICC Men's T20I Cricketer of the Year by the ICC, but after that, he has been snubbed from the Indian team and still awaits his fair chance across formats.
Arshdeep Singh picked for ODIs and T20Is for the Australia tour
Arshdeep has been picked next in the upcoming tour to Australia for the T20I as well as the ODI series. The upcoming tour holds immense importance for the Indian team ahead of the next ICC T20 World Cup in 2026 and the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup.
The left-arm pacer might finally get his fair chance under the Australian conditions, as he might be paired alongside Jasprit Bumrah in the T20I team, while he might also be paired alongside Mohammed Siraj in the ODI series.
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India National Cricket Team Arshdeep Singh Gautam Gambhir Harshit Rana Hardik Pandya Shivam Dube Nitish Kumar Reddy
