NEW DELHI: Arshdeep Singh's exclusion from India's playing XI continues to draw criticism, with former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin slamming the team management for leaving out the left-arm pacer in the second T20I against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Friday.

Ashwin was clearly unhappy with the decision and stressed that if the team management really wanted to experiment, they should have rested Jasprit Bumrah instead of Arshdeep.

"If you want to experiment, then rest Bumrah. Bumrah is the one with workload management issues. You can rest Bumrah," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. "See, Arshdeep Singh is your leading wicket-taker. When we will play the T20 World Cup, there will be some dew... But this Arshdeep debate is definitely something that's very sad because Arshdeep Singh deserves his place."

Ashwin said there should not be an iota of doubt about including Arshdeep as one of the first-choice players in India's playing XI in the shortest format.

"My point is, Arshdeep Singh's name should be the second name on your fast bowlers' list when Bumrah is playing. And if Bumrah isn't playing, then Arshdeep becomes your first-choice bowler on that team list. I just cannot understand how Arshdeep Singh keeps missing out from the XI in this side. I really don't get it," he added.

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"It's not about Harshit. The way Arshdeep performed in the 2024 T20 World Cup, and yet since then, he has consistently found ways to stay out of the team. He's been benched so many times when he should have been playing," Ashwin said.

Arshdeep, India's leading wicket-taker in T20Is with 101 scalps in 65 matches, last featured in the 2025 Asia Cup, where Ashwin observed that he looked "rusty" due to a lack of match practice.

"He actually lost a bit of rhythm... he looked rusty. And your champion bowler will start looking rusty if you don't give him game time," Ashwin noted. "I genuinely hope he starts getting the chances he deserves, man. He deserves to be there. And it's not about someone else, that's his spot. Please, play him."

It was a forgettable outing for India, who collapsed to 125 all out in 18.4 overs, undone by Josh Hazlewood's incisive three-wicket spell. Australia made light work of the chase, cruising to victory by four wickets with 40 balls to spare.