Arshdeep Singh was not picked in India's XI for their first Asia Cup game against UAE.
India preferred to pick three spinners in Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Varun Chakaravarthy, with Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah sharing the pace bowling duties with Shivam Dube for company.
Bumrah picked one wicket, while Pandya went for 10 runs in the only over he bowled. Kuldeep Yadav picked 4/7, and Dube took three wickets as India routed UAE for 57 runs. In response, India chased down the target in just 4.3 overs, with Abhishek Sharma making 30 in 16 balls and Shubman Gill making 20* in 9 balls, as India won by 9 wickets.
India only selected Jasprit Bumrah as their full-time bowler, and former opener Aakash Chopra believes they are sticking to the strategy that helped them win the Champions Trophy earlier this year, which was also played in the United Arab Emirates.
“I think it has a Champions Trophy hangover in this playing XI. That was in March. That was dusty. I have never seen that square as dry as I saw in March in Dubai. But this is September, and they have gone with the same tactic, albeit in a different format. Is that actually the way India is going to plan? You have to pick your best team,” Aakash Chopra said on ESPNCricinfo.
In addition to being India's all-time leading wicket-taker in T20Is, Arshdeep has been essential to the team's success in the last two years. Additionally, he needs just one more scalp to become the first Indian bowler to take 100 T20I wickets.
“Arshdeep Singh. 99 wickets, Arshdeep Singh has got more wickets and better numbers than Jasprit Bumrah in T20s for India,” said Chopra.
It remains to be seen if Arshdeep Singh gets a look in when India faces off against Pakistan in their second Group A game in Dubai on September 14.