Why Arshdeep Singh is Not Playing IND vs AUS 2nd T20I in Melbourne?

India is all set to take on Australia in the second T20I of the series at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on October 31. After winning the toss, the Australian team chose to field first. There are overcast conditions, which led to the decision to bowl first after winning the toss.

The Indian team has continued with their strategy of playing with 3 spinners, and that has led to the exclusion of Arshdeep Singh in the second T20I as well. This curious case of Arshdeep Singh getting dropped is causing serious discussions among the fans all over the internet, as he is the leading wicket-taker for the side in the T20 format, with 101 wickets.

Why Arshdeep Singh is Not Playing Today in IND vs AUS 2nd T20I?

Arshdeep Singh’s exclusion from India’s playing XI for the second T20I against Australia in Melbourne is a surprise to many fans. Despite being one of India’s most reliable T20 bowlers, he was left out of the first match in Canberra and is again on the bench for this game. The team management appears to have made this decision due to a strategic shift, favouring an extra wrist-spinner and a lower-order batter, which has opened the door for Harshit Rana instead.

Arshdeep Singh is a proven performer in both the power play and death overs. He bowls with an impressive strike rate in T20 internationals, and the key issue here is how India manages its bowling resources. In the Asia Cup, India often gave Jasprit Bumrah three overs within the power play, but that strategy might not work against the best cricket teams in the world during the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The teams in the Asia Cup 2025 were not strong enough to truly test India’s bowling depth.

Bumrah is argaubly the best T20 bowler in the world. Using his three overs upfront leaves him with just one over at the death. This approach only works if there’s another reliable death-over specialist in the team. Arshdeep Singh fits that role perfectly, with his left-arm angle and clever variations to trouble big hitters. Leaving him out reduces India’s options in the final overs and can give the opposition an advantage when it matters most.

Why was Arshdeep Singh Dropped in IND vs AUS 2nd T20I?

Arshdeep Singh has been frequently getting dropped from the T20 lineup recently as the team management is relying on Jasprit Bumrah and Harshit Rana as their main pace bowlers, supported by a trio of spinners. There is no doubt that Harshit Rana is a talented bowler who has consistently shown that he can be competitive. He has also delivered in the death overs, but with limited experience at the international level, it feels like the team management is taking a risk by relying on a relatively untested player and hoping the strategy works.

In the World Cup, India will be facing strong teams like Australia, England, and South Africa, and all these teams will come well-prepared with plans to counter the Men in Blue. Their likely approach will be to negotiate the spin attack carefully, save wickets, and then go on the attack in the final overs.

If the management wants to go ahead with the plan of Jasprit Bumrah bowling three overs in the powerplay and being available for just one over in the death, India will have to rely heavily on the relatively inexperienced Harshit Rana and the three spinners. This could be risky against dangerous hitters from top teams.