Arshdeep Singh’s ‘jaffa’ goes viral, leaves fans questioning his exclusion from BGT

Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh began trending widely on social media today after a viral clip of his outstanding delivery in the County Championship ignited discussions among cricket fans.

The clip, originally from the Essex vs Kent match of the County Championship Division One in 2023, featured Arshdeep bowling an inswinger, which clean-bowled a batter, leading many to question why he wasn't included in India's squad for the recently concluded Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 in Australia.

Arshdeep Singh's ‘jaffa, a term for an exceptionally unplayable delivery that often results in a wicket, began on a good length, swung back sharply, and knocked the stumps over, earning praise from commentators. "Oh, knocks him over. That's a beauty from Arshdeep Singh!" exclaimed the commentator.

Beautiful swing from Arshdeep Singh pic.twitter.com/hhFX2WzHlz

— Rothesay County Championship (@CountyChamp) January 7, 2025

After an inspection of the clip, fans took to social media sites like X (formerly Twitter) to express their surprise at Arshdeep's exclusion from the Test squad, considering his impressive form in T20 cricket.

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The BGT 2024-25 series saw India suffering a crushing 3-1 defeat to Australia, with multiple calls for the retirement of veteran players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma over their poor form.

While Jasprit Bumrah became the Player of the Series, scalping 32 wickets and ending as the highest wicket-taker of the series, the Indian pace attack struggled to provide consistent support, and the lack of a left-arm pacer like Arshdeep was felt.

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Notably, while Arshdeep has excelled in the County Championship, his domestic performances have been inconsistent.

The pacer’s showings in the Duleep Trophy and Ranji Trophy did not impress the selectors, leading to his omission from the BGT squad.