IND vs NZ 2026: 'I thought Arshdeep Singh would play' - Ajinkya Rahane lashes out at team selection after pacer's snub in Vadodara

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Ajinkya Rahane wasn't too convinced by Prasidh Krishna's selection over Arshdeep Singh in India's playing XI for the first ODI against New Zealand at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara on Sunday, January 11.

Krishna, Harshit Rana, and Mohammed Siraj were the three fast bowlers who were picked in the side to face the Kiwis in the series opener. As a result, India's leading wicket-taker in T20Is, Arshdeep, had to watch the action from the sidelines.

"When Siraj and Rana started bowling the slower deliveries, that is when they started to look challenging. I was frankly surprised to see Prasidh, I thought Arshdeep would play. But again, it is the team management's call, they are giving Prasidh an opportunity to go out there and bowl with freedom and express himself," Rahane said on Cricbuzz.

Rahane was also surprised to see Siraj only bowling eight overs, while Rana and Krishna bowled more overs than the veteran seamer.

"Ideally, your top two bowlers should be bowling those 10 overs. Depending on the condition and situation, sometimes miscalculations can happen from a captain's point of view. When you have six good bowlers with you, it happens. I'm glad the captain gave Krishna the extra over, it shows that he trusts him with the tough overs. If he bowls well, India can have him as an option for the World Cup. Still a long way to go, but India might get an option," Rahane opined.

Siraj was the pick of the bowlers, bagging two wickets and conceding 40 runs in eight overs. On the other hand, Rana and Krishna also picked up two wickets each, but they proved to be expensive. The former finished with figures of 2/65 in 10 overs. Meanwhile, Krishna had figures of 2/60 in nine overs to show for his efforts.

Arshdeep has been in and out of India's white-ball teams in recent months. He played all three ODIs against South Africa. Krishna finished as the highest wicket-taker but conceded runs at an economy rate of 7.80.