New Delhi: Team India pacer Mohammed Siraj was shockingly snubbed from Team India’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 squad, despite being a mainstay across formats over the last two to three years. The decision of selectors going for Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana in place of Siraj, specially when Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of the tournament, left many perplexed.
At a press conference held before the start of the marquee event, skipper Rohit Sharma explained the selection committee’s stance on Siraj’s case. He highlighted the fast bowler’s “ineffectiveness” with the old ball as a major reason behind the call. Siraj finally broke his silence over the matter, debunking the claims made by the skipper.
Siraj highlighted his “numbers” with the old ball as a response to Rohit’s suggestion. “I have taken the most wickets with the old ball in the past year among the world’s ten fastest bowlers. My economy rate is also low. The numbers speak for themselves. I have performed well with both the new and old ball,” Siraj said in a press conference ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
Dip in form a reason?
Just when the Team India squad for the Champions Trophy was to be announced, Siraj wasn’t in the best of form. The last six months weren’t too great for the pacer, but he did justify his spot in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, producing fine fightbacks. When Siraj was asked about his snub from the Champions Trophy, he said that selection isn’t in his hands, but he has the upcoming England tour in mind.
“Look, selection is not in my hands. I have only a cricket ball in my hands and I wanted to do as much as I can with that. I don’t want to put pressure on myself thinking about selection, as I want to focus on my performance,” he said while adding that it remains obvious that a player thinks about the upcoming series, which runs in the back of their mind.
Mohammed Siraj finally broke his silence on his Champions Trophy snub, quashing the reasons given by captain Rohit Sharma for his exclusion. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
