India fast bowler Arshdeep Singh referred it as “a blessing” to be with batman giant Virat Kohli in the same dressing room and mentioned that he won’t think too much of the ex-captain’s eight-ball duck in the first ODI, which India lost to Australia by seven wickets. Arshdeep said that he believes Kohli, who is adept at 50-over cricket, will regain his form and make a big score in the next two games of the series.

Arshdeep Singh praises Shubman Gill

“He has played more than 300 matches for India, so form is just a word for him,” Arshdeep said at the post-match media conference. “He knows how to get going. It is always like a blessing to be in the same dressing room with him, and I feel there’ll be a lot of runs for him in this series as well.”

When asked about Kohli’s mindset playing only one format, Arshdeep stayed diplomatic. “Talking about the format he is playing, he has mastered this one. I will ask him about his feelings and maybe tell you in the next press conference,” he said.

Arshdeep, still relatively new to Shubman Gill’s white-ball captaincy, praised the young skipper’s approach to supporting bowlers. Having shared the dressing room with Gill since their age-group days, he said, “We knew we didn’t have that many runs, but we just wanted to express ourselves, and that was his message.”

Highlighting the challenges faced by batsmen, Arshdeep noted that the frequent rain breaks at Optus Stadium disrupted concentration. “If you spend time on this wicket, runs were coming, but it was very important to spend time on the crease. The partnership between KL and Axar is a good example,” he said. “But with frequent stoppages, it became difficult to maintain focus. Credit also goes to Australian bowlers. They bowled in very good areas and got a lot of help from the wicket.”

Arshdeep’s remarks underline the confidence within India’s dressing room despite an early setback, while reinforcing the faith in both experienced leaders like Kohli and the young captaincy of Gill.