'I am ready to bowl wherever team needs me'- Arshdeep Singh exudes confidence ahead of first T20I against South Africa

After being rested for the recently-concluded home series against Australia that India won 2-1, emerging pace sensation Arshdeep Singh has made a comeback into the side for the three-match T20I series against South Africa starting at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday, September 28. 

As Arshdeep looks to make the ball do the talking and rediscover his mojo ahead of the next month's T20 World Cup 2022 down under, he has expressed his desire of playing in his maiden World Cup and at the same time is also looking forward to making the most of the opportunity.

World Cup is the biggest stage: Arshdeep Singh

"The feeling is good and everyone is happy at home. As a youngster you prepare to play for your country and the World Cup is the biggest stage, so getting that opportunity I am very happy. We as players need to be adaptable and be ready for any demands from the team, the same motivation remains with me, I am ready to bowl wherever the team needs me," said Arshdeep while speaking to the broadcasters.

"There needs to be clarity in your role, the captain and management have given me that and I practice accordingly. If you have match kinda situations in practice and are able to execute your plans then you'd do well in the game," he added.

Meanwhile, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah  has been ruled out of the contest after he complained of back pain during the Indian team's practice session a day before the contest. He was assessed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) medical team. The news of Bumrah not taking part in the series-opener has been confirmed by the national cricket board through Twitter.

🚨 UPDATE 🚨

Jasprit Bumrah complained of back pain during India's practice session on Tuesday. The BCCI Medical Team assessed him. He is ruled out of the first #INDvSA T20I.#TeamIndia

— BCCI (@BCCI) September 28, 2022

In Jasprit Bumrah's absence the onus will be on young Arsdheep Singh to handle the death over responsibilities in the first match. He was outstanding at the death during the Super Four fixtures against arch-rivals Pakistan and the eventual winners Sri Lanka, but expensive penultimate overs from senior pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar in both games meant that he was hardly left with much to defend in the final overs.