Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has rated Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh as India’s top two T20I fast bowlers after the T20I series against New Zealand. While Bumrah was rested for the series against the Kiwis, Singh came up with a decent performance.
Singh scalped six wickets in five T20Is against the Blackcaps at an average of 31.50 and an economy rate of 9.45, which was the best for any Indian bowler in the series and the second-best in the series.
The left-arm seamer also completed 150 scalps in the series and became the first Indian bowler to achieve the milestone.
Pathan said Bumrah has a very special skill, which makes him the best in the business.
“Number one is Jasprit Bumrah, No. 2 is Arshdeep Singh. As far as wicket-taking is concerned, he is actually better than anyone, but Bumrah has a special, very special skill. So he will take the No. 1 spot, and No. 2 is Arshdeep Singh,” Pathan said on Cricinfo.
“You can’t look beyond Arshdeep Singh as far as the No. 2 position is concerned because he can swing the ball both ways. He has got a big heart, which you need in T20 cricket. At the same time, he can bowl with the old ball, he can bowl yorkers. He has got a slower one, and whenever the team requires him to bowl a bouncer, he bowls a bouncer as well. So he is No. 2,” he added.
Arshdeep has taken 40 wickets in 2026 in T20Is, which is the most by any bowler in the format, among the full time ICC members.
India will now take on New Zealand in a five-match ODI series.
