Indian captain Rohit Sharma and selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar announced the squad for the three-match ODI series against England and the Champions Trophy on Saturday. The 15-member squad for the tournament, which will be held in Dubai from February 19, includes four spinners and three fast bowlers. Surprisingly, Mohammad Siraj has not been included in the squad, and he has also been left out of the ODI series against England.
India to Travel to Dubai with Four Spinners and Three Pacers
For the Champions Trophy, India has selected Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, and Jasprit Bumrah as the three pacers. However, Bumrah’s availability will depend on his fitness. Since Dubai pitches do not offer much assistance to fast bowlers, India has gone with four spinners, similar to their approach in the T20 World Cup in the West Indies. The selected spinners are Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar.
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Siraj Misses Out
Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has expressed disappointment over Siraj’s exclusion. He pointed out that since January 2022, Siraj has been India’s highest wicket-taking fast bowler in ODIs. From 2022 to 2024, he played 43 ODIs and took 71 wickets at an economy rate of 5.11.
In comparison, Mohammed Shami played 22 ODIs between 2022 and 2023, taking 47 wickets, while Jasprit Bumrah took 41 wickets in 22 ODIs during the same period. Arshdeep Singh, on the other hand, has played eight ODIs between 2022 and 2024, picking up 12 wickets.
Rohit Explains the Decision to Drop Siraj
During a press conference, Rohit Sharma explained why Siraj was not included in the squad. He said, “We wanted a team with both options—new-ball bowling and death-over specialists. We wanted Arshdeep Singh to bowl at the death and Mohammed Shami to handle the new ball. If Siraj is not bowling with the new ball, he is not as effective.”
Rohit further added, “We discussed this in detail and decided to take only three pacers because we want all-rounders to be available. It is unfortunate for Siraj, but we had no other option. We needed players for specific roles.”