India cricket team bowling coach Morne Morkel has ended his silence on Arshdeep Singh’s frequent exclusions from the playing XI. India’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is has featured in just one out of three IND vs AUS T20Is and is often left out of the side in other tournaments as well. Morkel explained that there would always be disappointment in terms of players and selection, adding that it was uncontrollable for a player.
Morkel explains rationale behind leaving out Arshdeep Singh
Speaking to reporters ahead of the IND vs AUS 4th T20I, Morkel claimed that there was limited time leading up to the T20 World Cup 2026 and that the team wanted to see how players react to certain situations under pressure. He claimed that with the World Cup around the corner, it was important for the team to try out all combinations instead of regreting not doing so later on.
“And I think with a World Cup around the corner, you do not want to leave any stones unturned. You do not want to sit two years down the line and say, if only we tried that, or give this combination a bit more time, it would have developed. So yes, I think it is about playing it smartly,” Morkel said.
Arshdeep finished with figures of 3/35 from his quota of 4 overs in the IND vs AUS 3rd T20I. With 104 wickets to his name to his name from 66 T20Is, Arshdeep is the fastest and the first Indian bowler to go past 100 wickets in the shortest format of the game. Despite his credentials, the southpaw was left out of the playing XI in the 1st and the 2nd T20I, leading to many former cricketers questioning head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav’s strategy.
“For us, from our side, we just keep on asking them to work hard and try hard and be ready for when they do get the opportunity. There are limited games now leading into the T20 World Cup, so it is essential for us to see how the players can react in certain situations under pressure; otherwise, it will be unknown to us. So it is a bit of playing those sorts of games and then still having the mindset to win the game of cricket,” said Morkel.
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