Arshdeep Singh became the latest Indian cricketer to play 100 T20 Internationals, reaching the milestone against New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Thursday, October 22. He is the second Indian specialist fast bowler after Jasprit Bumrah to reach the mark. He got there just over four years after his debut in 2022.
Arshdeep Singh Joins Elite Indian T20I Group
Arshdeep is the seventh Indian men's cricketer to reach 100 T20I caps. The group is small, which shows how rarely a player maintains selection across several cycles of the format.
India have won three men's T20 World Cup titles and have built a deep pool of consistent performers. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from T20Is in 2024, and the current generation is building on their record.
Indian Men With 100 or More T20I Caps
Rohit Sharma leads the list with 159 appearances between 2007 and 2024. Hardik Pandya follows with 138, and Kohli played 125 before retiring from the format.
| Player | T20I Caps | Note |
|---|
| Rohit Sharma | 159 | Played 2007 to 2024 |
| Hardik Pandya | 138 | Active |
| Virat Kohli | 125 | Retired from T20Is in 2024 |
| Suryakumar Yadav | 113 | Active |
| Axar Patel | 113 | Active |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 100 milestone reached | Reached between 2016 and 2026 |
| Arshdeep Singh | 100 milestone reached | Debut in 2022 |
Suryakumar and Axar are level on 113 matches. Bumrah and Arshdeep are the only two specialist fast bowlers on the list.
Indian Women With 100 or More T20I Caps
Five Indian women have also played at least 100 T20Is. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur leads with 202 matches, which is 43 more than Rohit Sharma's men's record of 159.
| Player | T20I Caps |
|---|
| Harmanpreet Kaur | 202 |
| Smriti Mandhana | 171 |
| Deepti Sharma | 149 |
| Jemimah Rodrigues | 131 |
| Shafali Verma | 111 |
Arshdeep Singh's Outing in Christchurch
The 100th cap was a difficult game for Arshdeep. He finished with figures of 1/45 in four overs at an economy rate of 11.25, well above his career average of 8.63 before the match.
His only wicket was Daryl Mitchell, who edged a slower delivery to Bhuvneshwar Kumar at fine leg.
Bowling Figures and Key Dismissals
| Metric | Value |
|---|
| Overs | 4 |
| Runs conceded | 45 |
| Wickets | 1 (Daryl Mitchell) |
| Economy rate | 11.25 |
| Career economy before match | 8.63 |
Mayank Yadav and Axar Patel provided India with early breakthroughs. Mayank removed Tim Seifert for 24, with Sanju Samson taking the catch, and Axar dismissed Finn Allen for 45, with Tilak Varma completing the catch.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, back in international cricket for the first time since 2022, also had a tough spell. New Zealand applied pressure through an aggressive middle-overs partnership between Glenn Phillips and Bevon Jacobs.
Career Record Before the 100th Match
Arshdeep made his T20I debut against England in Southampton on July 7, 2022, and began with a maiden over. Across his first 99 matches, he built one of the strongest wicket-taking records among Indian bowlers.
| Metric (First 99 Matches) | Value |
|---|
| Wickets | 145 |
| Bowling average | 20.30 |
| Economy rate | 8.63 |
| Strike rate | 14.12 |
A strike rate of 14.12 means a wicket roughly every 14 balls, which is a strong return in a format where economy often dominates evaluation.
Milestones and Tournament Impact
Arshdeep became the fastest Indian fast bowler to reach 100 T20I wickets, doing so in 64 matches in September 2025. His best T20I figures of 5/51 came against New Zealand in January 2026.
| Achievement | Detail |
|---|
| Fastest Indian fast bowler to 100 T20I wickets | 64 matches (September 2025) |
| Best T20I figures | 5/51 vs New Zealand (January 2026) |
| 2024 T20 World Cup | 17 wickets, joint-highest |
| 2026 T20 World Cup | Part of India's title defence |
| ICC Men's T20I Cricketer of the Year | 2024 |
Analytical Takeaway
Reaching 100 caps in just over four years points to both durability and consistent selection. A single expensive spell of 1/45 is unlikely to shift a career economy rate of 8.63 by a large margin over 99 matches.
The more relevant comparison is volume and output: 145 wickets in his first 99 matches, an average of 20.30 and a strike rate of 14.12. Among Indian pace bowlers, only Bumrah shares this milestone, which places Arshdeep in a narrow historical group.