Champions Trophy 2025: Zaheer Khan unhappy with Arshdeep Singh being ignored from India's Playing XI

India are playing their last game in Group A against New Zealand in the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025. Having won both the games in the group stage so far, confirming the qualification for semi-final, India entered the contest with a change to experiment Varun Chakravarthy in place of speedster Harshit Rana. However, left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh was left to warm the bench.

Meanwhile, Mohammed Shami who though started the tournament with a five-wicket haul but is still having some injury concerns. The 34-year-old seamer had a slightly underwhelming performance in the game against Pakistan. The decision to continue with Shami did not sit well with former lethal India pacer Zaheer Khan. The former cricketer feels that Shami could well have been rested for the New Zealand to avoid any major injury risks.

“If there is any bit of doubt around Shami's fitness, if he's going to be available or not in the semis and finals, then this is the opportunity Arshdeep to get a look in. He's been with the team in this format but has not got a game, and you don't want him directly facing the music in a big occasion like the finals. So I think the Indian team will be looking at it from that aspect and Shami, even if he's fit, you might see Arshdeep making the playing XI," Zaheer Khan said on Cricbuzz.

Speaking of Mohammed Shami and Arshdeep Singh’s performances. Shami is the leading wicket-taker in ICC events for India right now and was the highest wicket-taker in the 2023 ODI World Cup. On the other hand, Arshdeep Singh might have not played a lot of 50-over cricket but has been the best bowler for India in T20Is and was the leading wicket-taker in the triumphant T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies.

The Guna-born also was not India's preferred pacer for the recently-concluded series against England, which the hosts won 3-0, ahead of the eight-team tournament. The Indian team will next compete in the semi-final on March 04 in Dubai, and it will be interesting to see if the Men in Blue introduce the pacer for the first time in such a crucial stage of the competition.