3 reasons why India should play Arshdeep Singh in Match 6 of the Asia Cup 2025 vs Pakistan

Team India will face off against arch-rivals Pakistan in Match 6 of the 2025 Asia Cup on Sunday, September 14. The contest will be played out at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai.

India are on the back of a thumping win over the United Arab Emirates. They are the outright favorites to qualify from Group A irrespective of what happens against Pakistan, and changes might not be likely after the events of their victory.

However, the Men in Blue should consider bringing in ace spearhead Arshdeep Singh. The left-arm seamer has been on the bench across formats lately, but this could be a match where he emerges as the match-winner.

India's squad for the 2025 Asia Cup: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.

On that note, here are three reasons why India should play Arshdeep Singh in Match 6 of the 2025 Asia Cup against Pakistan.

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#3 Arshdeep Singh has done well against Pakistan before

India v Pakistan - ICC Men's T20 World Cup - Source: Getty

Arshdeep Singh has faced Pakistan in four T20Is till date, and he has made a decent impact. In his first two encounters against the Men in Green, the left-armer picked up three wickets at an economy rate under eight.

Then, in the 2022 T20 World Cup, Arshdeep broke the back of the Pakistan top order by dismissing Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan cheaply before finishing with figures of 3/32. He hasn't gone wicketless in any of his four outings and has favorable matchups against the likes of Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman, with his ability to move the ball both ways in the air.

Arshdeep knows what it takes to adjust to the pressure of a Pakistan clash. And among the current team, he's one of the more experienced players in that regard.

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#2 Shivam Dube doesn't offer much with both bat and ball in the current Indian lineup

India v United Arab Emirates - Asia Cup - Source: Getty

If Arshdeep were to come in, it would be for Shivam Dube. The fast-bowling all-rounder looks slightly out of place in the current lineup - he has neither a fixed batting position that works to his strengths nor a consistent role with the ball.

Dube's presence allows India to have batting depth until No. 8, but it's arguable that he doesn't offer enough in both departments. It would be harsh to drop him after his three-fer against the UAE, but Arshdeep would deepen the bowling strength while not really costing the team much in terms of giving their frontline batters their ideal spots.

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#1 Giving Jasprit Bumrah some support with the new ball and at the death would go a long way

India v United Arab Emirates - Asia Cup - Source: Getty

In the UAE clash, India didn't need their premier bowlers to bowl out. Jasprit Bumrah bowled three in the powerplay, while Varun Chakaravarthy sent down just two overs.

Pakistan are likely to put up more of a fight, and India's bowling plans might be tested. Bumrah currently doesn't have much support with the new ball or at the death, with either Varun or Kuldeep Yadav being the only ones who can reliably take wickets at the other end.

Arshdeep's presence would give Suryakumar Yadav a lot more flexibility while taking some of the load off Bumrah. And that could prove important in such a high-profile clash.