Lack of match practice to be biggest challenge for Arshdeep Singh: Bharat Arun

Former India fast bowling coach Bharat Arun believes that Arshdeep Singh is going into the Asia Cup without enough match practice. The left-arm fast bowler, who is on the brink of picking up 100 T20I wickets, has not played an international game since February 2025.

After his exploits against England in the bilateral series before the Champions Trophy 2025, Arshdeep played a full season of the Indian Premier League. Since then, he has not played a single match for India during their tour of England, where the team played five Test matches.

Arshdeep returned to India and played just one game in the Duleep Trophy before flying out to the UAE to join the Indian team for the Asia Cup 2025. Despite bowling overs in the nets throughout India's five-match Test series against England, Bharat Arun believes that Arshdeep is short on match practice.

"Arshdeep, we all know what he is capable of doing. He must have bowled a lot in England, but he is definitely short of match practice. The rhythm really comes from playing matches, no matter how much you bowl in the net and practice sessions," Bharat Arun told PTI in an interview.

"I think it is important to bowl in matches. It's a big challenge for Arshdeep. How quickly he gets back his match rhythm would be very, very important. It can be in a jiffy, or it can take him a couple of matches to get into rhythm," added the coach, who had two fairly successful stints as India’s bowling coach between 2014 and 2021.

Arshdeep Singh has 99 T20I wickets from 63 matches. If he is able to take a wicket in the Asia Cup 2025, he will become the first ever Indian to reach the milestone of 100 T20I wickets.

India play UAE, Oman, and Pakistan in their group-stage games at the Asia Cup, a tournament where the team is expected to be heavy favourites to lift the title.