Hyderabad: The shocking omission of Mohammed Siraj from the Indian team for the forthcoming Champions Trophy tournament has created a furore in cricket circles. The decision of the selectors has left many fans and experts perplexed. The absence of Siraj is surprising because he has been a prominent figure and has consistently delivered impactful, match-winning performances.

Former cricketer Aakash Chopra pointed out that in ODI cricket, from 2022 to 2025 it was Siraj who had been the most economical. Chopra opined that Ravindra Jadeja should have not been selected and it should have been Siraj in that slot because Siraj would have been more useful to the team. Ex-captain Saurav Ganguly too expressed surprise at the dropping of Siraj.

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma sought to explain the thought process behind the dropping of Siraj but his argument was not convincing. During a press conference, Rohit said that Bumrah’s fitness was not yet a surety so the team needed someone reliable to bowl the end overs with Shami.

Rohit gives reasons

According to Rohit, the Hyderabad pacer is at his best when the ball is new but he loses effectiveness at the end. Therefore it was decided that Arshdeep Singh would be a better choice.

The captain’s statement gives rise to several questions. Firstly, if there is still a question mark on the fitness level of India’s top fast bowler Bumrah, then why has he been named in the squad? What if he breaks down in the middle of the tournament? Won’t that create a huge gap in the team’s battle plans? It must be remembered that Arshdeep Singh is a far less experienced bowler than Siraj.

No questions raised

Furthermore, Siraj had been doing well earlier. Has this problem that the captain mentioned cropped up only now? If so, how and where was it spotted? Is it a sound assessment and who made it? These questions should have been brought up at the conference but the journalists present on the spot did not raise these issues.

There were injury concerns about both Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav before the team selection was finalised. Kuldeep had not played any competitive cricket since his hernia surgery in November, while Bumrah had suffered a stress-related injury during the fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. So the team is carrying two important bowlers who may have problems during the event. Despite that, Siraj who is fit has been left out. Was this a wise decision?

Siraj taking it in stride

However, like any good sportsman, Siraj has taken the setback in his stride. He is working very hard in the gym and at the nets and keeping his morale and fitness in top condition. It is learnt that he will take part in domestic cricket including the Ranji Trophy where he will represent Hyderabad in its last match against Vidarbha.

Siraj can boast of an impressive track record in ODIs, having claimed 71 wickets in just 44 appearances. He played a pivotal role in India’s triumphant Asia Cup 2023 campaign, delivering a match-winning performance in the final against Sri Lanka with career-best figures of 6 wickets for 21 runs.

This excellent form continued into the ODI World Cup on home soil, where he contributed significantly with 14 wickets, helping India to reach the final. Despite leading the pace attack without key bowlers, the Hyderabadi player has now been overlooked for the Champions Trophy squad. The selectors have made a big blunder by axing Siraj. We must wait a month to see the actual outcome of their decision.