Aakash Chopra opined that India need to play Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh together as they can be more formidable together than the Kuldeep Yadav-Varun Chakaravarthy duo. According to the former India opener, Bumrah and Arshdeep's overs at the start of the innings and at the death could be more beneficial for the Men in Blue.
During the Asia Cup in September, India had opted to play Kuldeep and Varun together, with Jasprit Bumrah being the only specialist pacer in the side. Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube contributed as seam-bowling all-rounders. On the tour of Australia, however, Hardik was sidelined due to an injury, and India shifted to the two-pacer and two-seamer combination. Kuldeep, Varun, Bumrah, and Harshit Rana played together in the first two T20Is before Arshdeep replaced the latter for the last three games.
Upon returning to subcontinental conditions for the five-match T20I series against South Africa and with Hardik back in the side, many expected that Bumrah would once again play the role of the lone specialist seamer, with Varun and Kuldeep playing in tandem. However, India threw a curveball by playing Arshdeep and leaving Kuldeep out in the first T20Is, which was held at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on Tuesday, December 9.
