'World Cup experiments on': Morne Morkel explains why India are rotating Arshdeep Singh

Arshdeep Singh’s return to India’s T20I playing eleven in Hobart was nothing short of emphatic. The left-arm seamer made a statement the moment he took the new ball. On a surface that offered just enough bounce and carry, Arshdeep delivered a spell that tilted the contest India’s way almost instantly.

Highlighted by the key wickets of Travis Head, Josh Inglis and Marcus Stoinis, Arshdeep gave a timely reminder of why he is one of India’s most trusted hands in white-ball cricket.


What stood out most was Arshdeep’s composure. Despite having been rotated out for “tactical balance”, he showed no signs of rust or frustration. Instead, he bowled with purpose, using his variations intelligently in the Powerplay. His ability to adapt quickly to the pitch conditions, swinging the new ball and later hitting hard lengths, demonstrated the maturity he has gained over the past two years.

In fact, Arshdeep not only missed the first two T20Is of the Australia series, but also missed a considerable number of games during India’s winning Asia Cup campaign in Dubai.

India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel admitted that Arshdeep’s omission was more strategic. “He might have got the rough end of the stick in selection matters,” Morkel said, “but Arshdeep has enough experience to understand that the team management is trying different combinations looking at the bigger picture.”

That “bigger picture” is the 2026 T20 World Cup, now less than four months away.

At first glance, benching a bowler who is India’s highest wickettaker in the format with over 100 T20I wickets, might look puzzling.
Arshdeep, after all, remains the only Indian to have crossed that mark — a remarkable feat given his international debut came just three years ago. More significantly, his wickets often come at the toughest times: the Powerplay and the death overs. In T20 cricket, those phases define matches.

Yet, in the ongoing Australia series as well as the preceding Asia Cup, Arshdeep wasn’t selected in several games. Morkel explained why. “Arshdeep and Kuldeep Yadav can’t be played in tandem,” he said. “We are looking at combinations — trying out different options for different conditions.”

This experimentation is deliberate. The think tank wants to know how India’s other pace options respond under pressure. It’s a test of temperament as much as skill. And as Morkel pointed out, the next few games are crucial for shaping the squad before the World Cup.
“There are limited games now leading into the T20 World Cup,” he said. “It is essential for us to see how the players react in certain situations under pressure. Otherwise, it will be unknown to us.”

Since his debut in 2022, Arshdeep has bowled more pressure overs than almost any other Indian pacer in the T20 format. Even when he’s not in the XI, Arshdeep’s value is understood within the dressing room. “He knows he’s a world-class bowler and we also know how valuable he is to the team,” said Morkel.
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