"They might not get a chance to play again" - Aakash Chopra on Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana's spells in IND vs OMA Asia Cup 2025 clash

Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana are unlikely to play another game in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025. He pointed out that the two seamers looked rusty in India's final Group A game against Oman, and Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy will return to the XI for the remainder of the tournament.

India set Oman a 189-run target in the final group game of the Asia Cup 2025 in Abu Dhabi on Friday, September 19. Although the Indian bowlers didn't look penetrative, the defending champions restricted Jatinder Singh and company to 167/4 to register a 21-run win.

Reflecting on India's bowling in a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the cricketer-turned-commentator noted that Arshdeep and Harshit were far from their best and reckoned that they are unlikely to take any further part in the Asia Cup 2025.

"The way Arshdeep and Harshit bowled, they didn't give enough confidence. They didn't make you feel at all that the pitch was difficult to bat. You came to know that both are rusty. Arshdeep Singh was on the verge of 100 wickets and it seemed like a wicket would fall when he would bowl with the new ball. However, when you haven't played cricket for such a long time, it becomes a little difficult," Chopra said (6:05).

"Harshit Rana's lengths didn't look that penetrative, and eventually you say that they might not get a chance to play again. Jasprit Bumrah will play on Sunday and after that as well, and Varun Chakaravarthy will return. India will go back to the three-spinner theory as the games after this are in Dubai," he added.

Arshdeep Singh registered figures of 1/37 in four overs, with his dismissal of Vinayak Shukla (1 off 2) making him the first Indian bowler to take 100 T20I wickets. Harshit Rana delivered a spell of 1/25 in three overs, with Oman's top-scorer Aamir Kaleem (64 off 46) being his only victim.

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"I thought they could have rested Hardik" - Aakash Chopra on Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana's inclusion for IND vs OMA Asia Cup 2025 clash

Arshdeep Singh wasn't given the first over in India's Asia Cup 2025 clash against Oman. [P/C: Getty]

Reflecting on India's playing XI in the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that while Arshdeep Singh expectedly replaced Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya could have made way for Harshit Rana.

"India rested two players. They asked Varun Chakaravarthy and Jasprit Bumrah to rest, and they played Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh. What was the thought process? One, it was the Abu Dhabi ground, where there is slightly more help for pace bowling. I thought they could have rested Hardik, and Harshit could have been played in his place," he said.

The former India opener noted that Varun Chakaravarthy could have been played as he hasn't been at his best in the Asia Cup 2025 thus far. However, he reckoned that the team management might have wanted Hardik to spend some time in the middle with the bat, an objective that wasn't achieved.

"Then you could have played Varun Chakaravarthy as well because he is brilliant, but he hasn't looked that spirited in this tournament. So I felt he could have been played one more match. Probably India felt getting Hardik to bat was more important, and that's why he was sent to bat at No. 4 as well. He was unfortunate to get run out at the non-striker's end, but you can still understand India's thought process," Chopra observed.

Hardik Pandya was sent to bat at No. 4 in India's Asia Cup clash against Oman. However, the move didn't yield the desired results as the all-rounder was found short of the crease when a Sanju Samson drive ricocheted off Jiten Ramanandi's hand onto the stumps after he had scored a solitary run off the only ball he faced.