Star India pacer Arshdeep Singh recently featured in an interview where he selected five bowlers based on their skills and abilities. His list included Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Ravichandran Ashwin.
While naming Ashwin at the fifth spot, Arshdeep jokingly apologised to the veteran spinner and said he would personally send him a message. The left-arm pacer explained that Ashwin was placed last only because all the previous spots were already filled, and he holds immense respect for the legendary off-spinner.
Arshdeep, who currently represents India only in white-ball cricket, is out of action as the team prepares for a two-match Test series against Sri Lanka beginning August 15.
Speaking on Krishnank Atrey’s YouTube channel, Arshdeep said, “Bhuvi bhai is at the top because he is my personal favourite as well. I really like him, so I’m a little biased. I’ll rate all the fast bowlers first. At number two, I’d go with Shami bhai because he can seam the ball on any wicket. His bowling is excellent, and he presents the seam perfectly.”
He added, “Third would be Kuldeep Yadav because he has a very rare skill set, a left-arm Chinaman. Then there’s Yuzi bhai, as we are teammates in the Punjab team, and his record is also excellent. He has taken so many wickets. I wouldn’t want to rate Ash bhai last, but there were no positions left, so he comes in at number five. He is great, but Ash bhai was also my first captain in the IPL with Punjab. Sorry, Ash bhai, I’ll personally message you.”
Arshdeep was last seen in action during India’s three-match ODI series against England, where the Shubman Gill-led side suffered a 2-1 series defeat after losing the decider by 27 runs. The pacer had a tough outing in the final ODI, conceding 72 runs without picking up a wicket.
Before the ODI series, India faced a challenging five-match T20I series against England, winning only one match while another was abandoned due to rain. Despite the team’s struggles, Arshdeep finished as India’s highest wicket-taker in the series with four dismissals.
After the England tour, Arshdeep was rested for India’s three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe. India went on to register a clean sweep in the series, giving Shreyas Iyer his first series victory as captain of the national side.
