Why is Arshdeep Singh repeatedly dropped from the Playing XI? Team India's coach breaks silence

Morne Morkel Pre-Match Conference: India will take to the field for the fourth T20 match against Australia in Queensland on Thursday, November 6. Before this, on Wednesday, Indian cricket team's bowling coach Morne Morkel held a press conference. During this, he broke his silence on Arshdeep Singh being repeatedly excluded from the playing XI. The bowler, who has taken the most wickets for India in T20 internationals, has participated in only one of the three matches in the current series. He has been overlooked several times before as well. When Morkel was asked to answer this question, he revealed the reason behind it.

This is the logic behind excluding Arshdeep

Speaking to reporters before the India vs Australia fourth T20 international match, Morkel claimed that there is limited time left for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Therefore, the team management wants to see how players react in certain situations under pressure. He said that with the World Cup approaching, it is important for the team to try out all combinations beforehand rather than regretting it later.

He said, "I think with the World Cup being so close, you don't want to leave any stone unturned. You don't want to sit back two years later and say, 'I wish we had tried this' or 'if we had given this combination a little more time, it would have developed'. So yes, I think it's a matter of playing smart."

Has taken 104 wickets in T20Is

Arshdeep Singh took three crucial wickets for 35 runs in his four-over quota in the third T20 match against Australia. He has 104 wickets in 66 T20 matches. He is the first Indian bowler to cross the 100-wicket mark in the shortest format of cricket. Despite his credentials, he was kept out of the playing XI for the first and second T20 matches. Several former cricketers questioned the strategy of head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav on this issue.

'We just tell him to work hard'

Morkel further said, "We just keep telling Arshdeep to work hard and try and be ready whenever he gets the opportunity. With limited matches left before the T20 World Cup, it is important for us to see how players react under pressure. Otherwise, this issue will remain unknown to us. So it is important to play matches like these and still have a winning mentality."