Ajit Agarkarchief selector of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)has reported the fast bowler's famous retirement Mohammed Siraj from the Indian squad to ICC Champions Trophy 2025. This announcement has led to a lot of discussion among cricket fans and pundits regarding the reasons behind this decision.
The reason for removing Mohammed Siraj
In the press conference, which was also attended by the Indian captain Rohit SharmaAgarkar explained that the selectors had to make tough decisions based on team composition and strategy.
But that's because we thought about it. We don't know [Jasprit] Bumrah (to be fit for the third ODI against England), whether he plays or not. We wanted to pick a team where we have both options, one to go with the new ball and one to throw back. Obviously, with Bumrah missing, we don't know.
Agarkar emphasized that Siraj's performance diminishes when he is not used as a new bowler, which led to their selection decision. Arshdeep Singh on the contrary.
“We wanted Arshdeep to come and play the ball at the back end [Mohammed] Shami, obviously we have seen what he has done with the new ball and that is where we feel that Siraj's performance will go down a bit if he does not take the new ball.
“We talked a lot about it and we're only taking three seamers there because we want everyone around them. It's unfortunate that he has to miss out but we had no choice but to find guys who can do a certain job. I personally think we have guys who can play the new ball and be effective. in the middle and work at the end so you have to cover all three sides of the game,” the former India pacer added.
India will play against Pakistan on February 23
India will start their Champions Trophy campaign against Bangladesh on February 20, followed by the highly anticipated game Pakistan on February 23. Siraj's absence will pose an additional threat to the pace order, which includes Bumrah, Arshdeep and Mohammed Shami.
As India prepares for this important match, all eyes will be on how the selected players perform without their most effective performances. The strategies of the candidates will be tested as they aim to excel in the most prestigious cricket tournaments.