With the toss moments away at the Melbourne Cricket Ground for the second T20I between India and Australia, a key talking point among fans remains the selection of left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh. The talented seamer, who is India’s most successful bowler in this format recently, was benched in the first match — and indications suggest he may miss out again today.
Despite his impressive T20 credentials, Arshdeep has once again not been seen among the priority warm-ups, with India expected to persist with the XI that took field in Canberra before rain washed out the opener. The team management appears keen to back this balance, where Harshit Rana offers bowling depth along with handy lower-order hitting, adding an extra layer of flexibility.
Sources and ground visuals hint that the team combination remains unchanged, meaning Arshdeep will likely have to wait for his turn as India opts for a pace-spin mix anchored by Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Kuldeep Yadav.
India’s Probable XI
Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah
Context:
With the T20 World Cup 2026 approaching, India are clearly experimenting with balance and roles — but Arshdeep’s absence continues to be a talking point given his wicket-taking ability, especially at the death.
If the rain stays away tonight, India will look to strike early advantage in the five-match series. Toss coming up shortly.
