Ahead of India vs Australia 4th T20I, Team India bowling coach Morne Morkel was asked how does he handle Arshdeep Singh's situation and how does the team management tell him that he has to sit out despite the pacer proving his worth time and again. And his reply left the fans a little confused.
Morne Morkel on Arshdeep Singh
During an interaction with the media, Morkel said, "I think Arshdeep is an experienced youngster but there's another bigger picture where we try out different combinations. I know he is a world class bowler. He has taken the most wickets, so, We know how valuable he is to the team, but on this tour it's also just to look at the combinations. So, he understands that."
Sure, everyone knows how valuable Arshdeep is in this T20 setup. But what’s hard to understand is this - how can India’s highest T20 wicket-taker, a proven match-winner, spend more time on the sidelines than in the middle?
Let’s accept that team combinations are a priority. But is Arshdeep the only one who doesn’t fit into them? When he finally got a chance in Hobart, he grabbed it with both hands, picking up three wickets and emerging as India’s best bowler on the night. And let’s be clear, those weren’t tailenders padding his stats. He dismissed Travis Head, Josh Inglis, and Marcus Stoinis - three genuine match-winners for Australia.
So, if after a performance like that Arshdeep is once again dropped for the 4th T20I, it won’t just be a tough call, it’ll be an unjustifiable one. Neither the players nor the team management will be able to make sense of a decision that benches one of India’s most consistent and clutch performers.
Because if a bowler like Arshdeep Singh can’t find a place in the “right combination,” maybe it’s time to question what that combination really stands for.
Numbers Don’t Lie
We’re not talking about just another pacer. We’re talking about India’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is, a member of the T20 World Cup-winning squad, a bowler who, despite playing fewer T20Is among India's top 5 wicket takers, is the only one to reach the 100-wicket club.
Even a new coach, new philosophy and rotation haven’t dimmed his numbers. Since Gautam Gambhir took over, India has played 23 T20Is, and Arshdeep has missed 10 of them. And still, in the 13 T20Is he did play, he picked 22 wickets, without going wicketless even once. That’s not consistency, that’s elite reliability. That’s game-changing impact.
When a bowler delivers every single time when he dons India's blue, his value shouldn’t be questioned because he doesn’t bat like a No.7. The conversation should be about how fast he returns to lead the attack.
There’s only one fear: in chasing batting depth, India might lose a generational death-bowling talent. India’s all-rounder obsession makes sense in modern T20 cricket. But diamonds don’t grow on trees. And Arshdeep isn’t a project; he’s a finished product. A proven weapon. Ignore him long enough, and you don’t just lose a bowler, you lose a match-winner.
