Indian national cricket team captain Rohit Sharma has spoken about the disappointment of Mohammed Siraj from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 squad. He said they only want three seamers in the squad and unfortunately Siraj didn't make the cut.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday (January 18) announced the Indian squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Rohit Sharma will lead the team while Shubman Gill has been named as his deputy for the tournament.
Mohammed Siraj loss of Indian team for ICC Champions Trophy 2025 comes as a big surprise
One of the major names to miss out was Mohammed Siraj. The fast bowler, who was a regular member of the team, was dropped when the Indian national cricket team came in with three pacers. jasprit bumrah, Mohammed Shamiand the left arm pacer Arshdeep Singh.
Mohammed Siraj's absence is a big surprise as the fast bowler has a great record in ODIs. He was also part of the Indian squad for the ICC World Cup 2023 and has been decent with the team. Along with this, he also played in the 2024 T20 World Cup, his last ODI outing coming in a series against the Sri Lankan national cricket team.
We wanted to pick someone who can bowl the new ball in the death as well – Rohit Sharma on Mohammed Siraj's grandpa
India captain Rohit Sharma, while talking about dropping Mohammed Siraj, said they wanted to cover Jasprit Bumrah, who can play with the new ball as well as in the death. He said they felt Arshdeep Singh was the right candidate for it. Speaking to reporters, he said:
“Only Siraj is not there. But that is only because we are not sure if Jasprit Bumrah will play. We wanted to pick someone who could throw the new ball in death. And I wanted Arshdeep to take that role”
Siraj's effectiveness goes down when he is not bowling with the new ball – Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma added that they need three pacers in the team and Mohammed Siraj's effectiveness dipped when he did not play with the new ball. He also told why they backed Arshdeep Singh in the team despite him having less experience. He added:
“We only take three seamstresses there. We wanted policemen with us. It is unfortunate that Siraj has to miss out. Siraj's effectiveness goes down when he is not bowling the new ball. We have no choice, but we wanted guys for certain roles. We wanted guys who could play with the new ball and be effective in the middle and at the back.
“With these three guys (Shami, Harshit and Arshdeep) we can do that. Arshdeep hasn't played very many ODIs but has been in the white ball circuit for a long time. He's been there quite a bit and played some tough matches. You can't please everybody and at the end of the day you're trying to pick the best team possible.”
Also Read: ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Ajit Agarkar gives ultimate update on Jasprit Bumrah's fitness