Arshdeep Singh's Swing Skillset Expected to Earn Him a Place Over Harshit Rana for Champions Trophy

With India preparing for the Champions Trophy, everyone is looking at the country's pace bowling unit, with Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana being two of the top contenders for a place in the playing eleven. But even though Harshit has made a great comeback in the last few months, Arshdeep, given his potential to provide more variations, is most likely to be chosen for the high-profile tournament, which begins on February 19.

Delhi pacer Harshit Rana, who stands at 6-feet-2-inches, has made a big leap this season, impressing with his pace and development. Gautam Gambhir's guidance as head coach provided him with the chance to play all three One Day Internationals (ODIs) against England, an opportunity to gauge his strength at the international stage. His performances have been commendable, with the pacer fitting well into India's pace attack. Despite this, it seems unlikely that he will make the final cut for the Champions Trophy starting lineup.

While Harshit’s economy rate in the recent England series stood at 6.95 per over, which is relatively high, Arshdeep has proven to be more economical, maintaining a solid 5.17 per over. This is an important distinction, especially in pressure games when managing runs is critical. Second, Arshdeep's capability to swing the ball both ways, particularly during the critical Powerplay overs, places him ahead of Harshit. This is a talent likely to be of immense benefit at the Dubai International Stadium, which favors swing bowlers.

Arshdeep, with just nine ODIs to his name after making his debut in 2022, has been extremely consistent. His ball-reversal skills and movement off the seam make him an appealing choice as India's first-choice opening bowler, paired with Mohammed Shami. Former national selector Devang Gandhi, who has had close working relationships with both bowlers, was confident Arshdeep was ready for the Champions Trophy: "Arshdeep can swing the ball both ways and is a left-armer, which puts him ahead of Harshit," said Gandhi.

The team management, headed by Gambhir, tried out Harshit during the England series, trying out whether he could possibly replace injured Jasprit Bumrah. This series was also an important chance to try out Shami's fitness. Arshdeep, however, was rested for the first two matches, with the aim of providing Shami an opportunity to get back to full match fitness, before Arshdeep was brought in for the third ODI.

India's opening match of the Champions Trophy against Bangladesh on February 20 is around the corner, and the race for places in the playing eleven is on. With the Dubai pitch likely to favor pace bowlers, the selection committee will be considering all possibilities with caution. In the opinion of India's former opening batsman WV Raman, Arshdeep's experience and left-arm direction naturally qualify him to play a multi-nation competition like the Champions Trophy. Raman suggested that experience in ICC events normally plays a very significant role because ICC events consist of playing varied oppositions repeatedly, which needs flexibility and great tactical changes.

Raman further pointed out that the Dubai track should be pacer-friendly, and generating swing would be crucial. Arshdeep, with his set of skills, is one who excels under such conditions. Conversely, Harshit, with the capacity to hit the deck hard and create movement off the pitch, is still developing his game in the death overs, where Arshdeep's capacity to change his lines and lengths, particularly coming around the wicket, could be critical.

The conditions of the Dubai International Cricket Stadium may become instrumental in the decision-making. One of the NCA Level 2 coaches who had watched the India U-19 team play the Asia Cup in Dubai pointed out that the extra bounce on the pitch could come in handy for a bowler like Arshdeep. That would enable the left-arm pacer to utilise his swing and bounce to best effect. According to the coach, "If there's extra bounce for a swing bowler, Arshdeep should be the obvious choice."

Though Harshit has definitely displayed his talent and has a huge potential, Arshdeep's experience, variations, and game knowledge are likely to make him the first choice for Shami in the Champions Trophy. If Shami is available, Arshdeep's left-arm swing and match sense are likely to be the key factors, earning him a place in the playing eleven ahead of the new find Harshit Rana.