While India pacer Mohammed Siraj was rested for the ODI series vs Afghanistan, after a long calendar behind him, former India opener Aakash Chopra has questioned his exclusion at large, from the white-ball formats. Sometimes, his name pops up in the T20I team, and then he is not considered. Same has been happening in the 50-over series’ as well.
Has Siraj become one-format bowler?
In a video posted on X, Chopra questioned, if he has become only one format bowler for the team, too soon? “Bahut jaldi humne unko one-format player bana ke choad diya (We made him a one-format player very soon). It was prematurely decided that he could not bowl with the older ball and should be dropped. He was out of favor for a long time, but his fate changed, and he was picked for the T20 World Cup, where he picked up three wickets in his first match, and now he is back again in the T20 reckoning,” Chopra said.
Needs to be regularly played in ODIs
Chopra further expressed his frustration, that Siraj is made to play all Tests, but then he is rested in the ODIs, where he was actually the world no. 1. “There was a period when I genuinely felt that it was not right. You played him in all Tests, where everyone needs workload management, but didn’t think about him. Then, suddenly one day, you said he was no longer part of the ODI team, and then he was removed from T20Is as well; that was not right,” Chopra added.
Chopra also highlighted, how he was left out of the Champions Trophy 2025 squad, despite being a consistent performer; he has done enough to be in the ODI side at all times. “He was not in the Champions Trophy team. I thought that was incorrect. His name should have been there. Maybe you can still understand for T20Is, but his name should be there in ODIs,” he added.
For the record, the pacer has played only 3 ODIs each year, since 2024. That, when one feels he is on top of his game currently. As for the T20Is, in 2023 he played 2, followed by 6 in 2024, none in 2025, and 1 in 2026.
