Mohammed Siraj Opens Up About Stunning Champions Trophy Omission
Mohammed Siraj, one of India’s most aggressive fast bowlers in recent years, found himself on the sidelines after being left out of the squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The selection panel and captain Rohit Sharma made the call to emphasize spin over pace, a move dictated by the slow, spin-friendly pitches expected in Dubai. Still, the news hit Siraj hard. "I couldn't digest the fact at first," he admitted. For a player who has built his reputation with relentless consistency across all formats, being dropped felt particularly harsh.
The logic, according to Indian cricket’s think-tank, was simple: Dubai’s pitches slow down, making it tough for pacers to have a sustained impact. Spinners, by contrast, become game-changers as dryness sets in. Rohit Sharma, known for his sharp reading of match situations, was straightforward with Siraj. Siraj said, "Rohit bhai knew spinners would be more useful there," showing that the team’s needs sometimes outweigh even strong individual records.
Siraj's Comeback Drive and His Numbers Fight Back
Instead of sulking, Siraj shifted his focus. He doubled down on his fitness during this forced time away, determined that his name wouldn’t be forgotten. What stung most was not just the exclusion, but the reason behind it. Rohit had pointed to Siraj’s supposed drop in effectiveness with the old ball—a crucial phase in white-ball cricket, especially in matches where spinners are expected to dominate. Siraj wasn’t willing to let that ride. He brought receipts, highlighting that in the past year, he’d taken more wickets with the old ball than almost any other top-tier fast bowler globally. It's his way of telling selectors and critics: look at the numbers, not just the stats sheets you prefer.
The selection drama comes after a rough patch during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where Siraj openly struggled—especially in the Sydney Test, when spearhead Jasprit Bumrah wasn’t around to support the pace attack. Ultimately, it was Harshit Rana who got the nod as Bumrah’s backup, while Siraj was placed on the reserve list, not even traveling with the squad. This sort of decision cuts deep for any competitor, let alone someone who prides himself on constantly hustling for a regular spot.
But Siraj isn’t the type to let one setback define him. He’s talking about targeting the next England series and watching for his name on future squads. If anything, time out of the squad has left him more convinced that consistent grind—backed by both stats and self-belief—is the only way to make the selection debate interesting again. As he says, his aim is simple: keep improving and show he belongs every time he takes the field. Will selectors trust pace again, or will spin hold the upper hand in India’s white-ball plans? For now, Siraj is ready, waiting, and making sure his story isn’t over.
