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Indian national cricket team captain Rohit Sharma spoke about Mohammed Siraj’s omission from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 squad. He said that they wanted only three seamers in the squad but unfortunately, Siraj was not selected.
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.
Mohammed Siraj misses India squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in surprise move
Mohammed Siraj is one of the main players missing out on this team. The fast bowler has been a regular member of the team but has been paired with three pacers Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and left-armer in the Indian national cricket team Pacer Arshdeep Singh was eliminated while playing together.
Mohammed Siraj’s absence comes as a surprise as the fast bowler has an excellent record in ODIs. He is also part of the Indian team for the 2023 ICC World Cup and is getting along well with the team. Apart from this, he also played in the 2024 T20 World Cup and his last ODI appearance was in the series against the Sri Lankan national cricket team.
We want to pick someone who can hit the new ball and at the death – Rohit Sharma snubs Mohammed Siraj
India captain Rohit Sharma on Mohammad Siraj’s omission says they want to replace Jasprit Bumrah as Jasprit Bumrah is available with new ball Play ball, or play ball while dying. He said they believed Ardeep Singh was a suitable candidate. He said in an interview with reporters:
“Only Siraj is out. But that is purely because we are not sure whether Jasprit Bumrah will play or not. We want to pick someone who can bowl the new ball and win at the death. And, we want Arshdeep to play that Role”
Siraj’s efficiency will drop without new ball, says Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma added that their team needs three pacers and Mohammad Siraj’s efficiency will drop when he is not bowling with the new ball. He also revealed why they backed Ardeep Singh to join the team despite having less experience. He added:
“We went there with only three seamers. We wanted all-rounders. Unfortunately, Siraj had to miss out. Without bowling with the new ball, Siraj’s efficiency will go down. We don’t want to No options, but we want people in specific roles. We want players who can play with the new ball and perform well in the middle and at the back.
“With these three boys (Shami, Harshit and Arshdeep) we can do that. Arshdeep has not played many ODIs but he has been in the white-ball circuit for a long time. He has been there Stayed long enough and took some tough shots. You can’t please everyone, and at the end of the day, you try to pick the best team you can.”
