Former India cricket team batting coach Sanjay Bangar joked that the impact substitute rule needs to brought in to T20Is to allow Arshdeep Singh to make it the line-up. India’s leading wicket-taker in the shortest format of the game was snubbed from the playing XI in their tournament opener against UAE on Wednesday. Bangar had a rather humorous take on what it will take for Arshdeep to make it the playing XI at Asia Cup.
How Arshdeep can fit in India’s XII?
Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, Bangar claimed that the introduction of the impact player rule in T20Is could perhaps be the only manner in which Arshdeep can make it to the top XII. India opted play their ‘Test asset’ Jasprit Bumrah, along with Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube as their pacers for the clash against UAE. Despite being their best T20I bowler, Arshdeep was allowed to warm the bench along with Harshit Rana.
“I think we need the impact sub rule in T20Is as well. That would mean Arshdeep would get a chance to play in the playing XII,” Bangar joked.
How do you incorporate Arshdeep Singh in the playing XI? The next match for India in the Asia Cup is against Pakistan on September 14, and given their weakness against spin, in all probability, the team will field Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy together. Jasprit Bumrah becomes the pacer spearhead, and with Hardik Pandya as the other pacer.. no slot is left.
“If Arshdeep Singh can’t make it to playing XI, you can imagine how formidable Indian bowling attack is. Our boys were overawed by some of the big names of Indian cricket,” UAE head coach Lalchand Rajput said after the IND vs UAE clash.
Now, what that means is, Arshdeep could well have been the first from the country to bag 100 wickets in the format, but then two others might get ahead of him, due to no match time.
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