Ravichandran Ashwin passionately defended Arshdeep Singh's spot in India's ODI setup, blasting the Gautam Gambhir-led management for benching the left-arm
pacer across the first two matches against New Zealand in Vadodara and Rajkot during the ongoing three-match series in January 2026.
The 29-year-old Punjab speedster, with 22 wickets from 14 ODIs at an average under 25 and a key figure in India's T20 World Cup 2024 triumph, sat out as selectors prioritized match practice for Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana ahead of tougher assignments like South Africa, sparking a fiery debate on bowler rotation and mental resilience.
From a bowler's viewpoint, Ashwin highlighted how such drop-ins erode rhythm more than for batters, drawing from his own career as India's second-highest Test wicket-taker. "He has performed every time you have given him the ball. Give him the place he deserves. Allow him to walk into the eleven with his head held high," Ashwin urged on his YouTube channel, questioning a potential third-ODI recall as too little too late. Captain Shubman Gill countered it as "rotation" for workload balance, but Ashwin dismissed coach-era excuses: "This is not about how much he played under Rahul bhai and how much he is playing now. It is about what must be going through his head right now. "
Arshdeep's snub, despite starring in recent Champions Trophy cycles and white-ball ICC events, exposes deeper tensions under Gambhir's new regime, where emerging hit-the-deck options vie for spots amid India's packed 2026 calendar including home Champions Trophy prep. "Cricket is a game of confidence. The next time he plays, he will be rusty. Whatever you say, this keeps happening with bowlers. It never happens with batsmen," Ashwin noted, adding, "I have been in this situation myself, and so I know it is quite unfair. And that is why I always fight for Arshdeep. "
