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Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj, a consistent performer across formats in recent years, couple of months ago found himself at the center of controversy after being left out of India’s Champions Trophy 2025 squad. The selectors’ decision to include younger pacers like Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana instead of Siraj, especially in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah due to injury, left many fans and experts puzzled. India’s captain Rohit Sharma attempted to explain the omission, citing Siraj’s ‘ineffectiveness’ with the old ball as a key reason. However, Siraj has now responded, dismissing Rohit’s claims with hard-hitting facts.
Mohammed Siraj fires back with stats
Speaking to the media ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, Siraj shut down the narrative surrounding his supposed weakness with the old ball. “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 IPL 2025, challenging the perception that he struggles in the latter half of innings.
His comments were a direct counter to Rohit’s statement at the squad announcement. Rohit had remarked, “Siraj’s effectiveness comes down a little bit if he’s not going to take the new ball. We discussed it at length and we are only taking three seamers there (Champions Trophy) because we wanted all the all-rounders with us,” Siraj’s response, backed by statistics, made it clear that he wasn’t buying into that explanation.
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Rohit Sharma’s decision: A tactical or questionable call?
Despite Siraj’s credentials, India’s selectors opted for a different strategy, prioritizing all-rounders and younger pacers. Rohit Sharma had justified the move, stating, “It’s an unfortunate thing that he (Siraj) has to miss out, but we had no option but to get the guys who can perform a certain role,”
India’s gamble paid off as Harshit Rana impressed with his performances, contributing to India’s Champions Trophy triumph in Dubai. However, Siraj made it clear that his omission wasn’t due to lack of skill or ability. “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,” 31-year-old added, showing his determination to move forward.
Shifting focus to IPL 2025 and England tour
While the Champions Trophy snub remains a bitter pill, Siraj is now focused on proving his worth in IPL 2025, where he will represent Gujarat Titans (GT). Having previously played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Siraj was released ahead of the mega auction and was picked up by GT as a replacement for Mohammed Shami.
The Hyderabad-born pacer acknowledged that the upcoming England tour and Asia Cup remain in the back of his mind but insisted that his priority is IPL. “Yeah, as a player, it remains in the back of your mind that there is a tour of England and the Asia Cup, but I don’t really seriously think about it. My focus is on IPL and doing well for Gujarat Titans and helping them win another IPL title,” Siraj concluded.
