The Arshdeep Singh saga: From ICC T20I Player of the Year 2024 to being benched in all formats

Arshdeep Singh rose to prominence within no time, becoming India's highest wicket-taker in T20Is within three years of his debut. The 26-year-old pacer has been a part of all three formats of the Indian team and yet has only played four matches, including one ODI and three T20Is in 2025. He was benched for all five Tests against England.

Constantly ignored from the playing 11, Singh has kept himself busy making vlogs, hyping his teammates’ performances, creating reels with them, giving fans glimpses of his personal life, and most importantly, taking care of his loved ones.

Singh was also a part of India's successful Champions Trophy team but Harshit Rana was preferred in the playing 11. In June, he was picked for the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy and was all set to make his debut at The Oval in the final Test of the series. However, he missed out as Prasidh Krishna was chosen for his experience and the ability to extract extra bounce.


The left-arm pacer has 99 wickets in only 63 T20Is, playing a key role in India's World Cup win. He was also named the T20I Player of the Year and yet, he was ignored for the opening match against UAE in the Asia Cup.

There is a great chance he might carry drinks for his teammates in the high-octane clash against Pakistan on Sunday. Last month, Singh played his first competitive match in three months, a Duleep Trophy match in Bengaluru

After the Test cap snub at The Oval, the lanky pacer switched focus to the Asia Cup.

“During the last Test at The Oval, I started training with a white ball. The workload was properly managed. I don’t know how many thousands of balls I sent down in practice. There was no shortage of bowling. At the end of the day, white or red ball, you just play and enjoy it. I got a chance to play in the Duleep Trophy and will next play with a white ball. The aim is to have a lot of overs under the belt,” Arshdeep told the media while representing North Zone in the quarter-final.

Despite being one of India’s finest left-arm seamers lately, which is a rare commodity in Indian cricket, Singh is struggling for opportunities head coach Gautam Gambhir.

“Everyone knows there is no agenda,” India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said at the ICC Academy when asked about Arshdeep’s omission.

“There is no personal liking or disliking. Whatever is best for the team, the captain and head coach will decide. And I don’t think there is any doubt in anybody’s mind. Whoever is not playing is always trying to help those who are, and I think that’s how the team should function.”

In his short career so far, Singh has already had many ups and downs. He was trolled heavily on social media for dropping Asif Ali in a tense Asia Cup match against Pakistan. One user even modified his Wikipedia page to insert references to “Khalistan.”

“His exact words were, ‘I am laughing at all these tweets and messages,’” his father Darshan Singh had told TOI at the time.

Arshdeep Singh, who has a toddler and a wife, is facing a tough time being a lonely figure on the bench. Yet, he smiles constantly.

He takes inspiration from his diary, a record of his cricketing journey, which he terms as his finest work.

“Rakh rabb te yakeen naal mehnatan da zor hove. Apne aap nu kra challenge, mukabala na koi hor hove! Hovan saarean toh vakh, jitt hateran de dil lavan. Hon jinnia v aukdan, mukaam apne nu mil lavan!”

(Have faith in the Almighty and work hard. Challenge yourself rather than competing with others. Be the best among the best and win over the hearts of haters. With dedication and effort, you will reach your destination, no matter how tough the circumstances are.)