IND vs NZ 2026: ‘Happy to see him back’ – Ajinkya Rahane happy with Arshdeep Singh’s inclusion in for 3rd ODI

Ajinkya Rahane, an experienced Indian cricketer, expressed happiness at Arshdeep Singh’s inclusion in India’s XI for the third and final One-Day International of the present series against New Zealand. Arshdeep sat out the first two matches of the ongoing white-ball series, but replaced Prasidh Krishna in the series finale.

Before detailing the left-arm seamer’s strengths, Rahane hoped Arshdeep had spoken effectively with the team management about why he was kept on the bench for the first two matches in Vadodara and Rajkot.

“I hope there is a conversation between him and the management as to why he wasn’t playing. But Arshdeep is someone who’ll get better while playing matches, as he needs that rhythm. Happy to see Arshdeep back in the ODI XI. He can pick up early wickets while swinging the ball both ways and has the ability to deliver in the middle and death overs also. At times, he can bluff the batter as well by setting up a different field. The left-arm angle is also important,” Rahane shared.

India need to maintain good communication with Arshdeep Singh: Zaheer Khan

The legendary left-arm pacer Zaheer Khan was also a part of the same discussion. As per Zaheer, Arshdeep has been a vital component of India’s white-ball squad and will be an important asset for the Men in Blue as far as next year’s World Cup is concerned.

“If someone tells Arshdeep he needs to bowl with more pace, he suddenly strives for that instead of focusing on the swing, variations and situations of the game. Suddenly, he will think that to be part of this XI, he has to add that yard of speed. If the communication is managed well, then it’s fine. We have to see with Arshdeep what the situation is. But when you look at the big World Cup in 2027, he should be an integral part of the playing XI,” Zaheer said.