Cricket

“What is happening with Mohammed Siraj?”- Aakash Chopra questions pacer’s absence from India’s ODI squad

Aakash Chopra questioned Mohammed Siraj's exclusion from the ODI squad, calling it inexplicable that he is now a "one-format player." His comments came after India failed to defend 359 vs SA in the 2nd ODI, highlighting the struggles of young pacers.

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Former India batsman Aakash Chopra has questioned Mohammed Siraj's removal from the ODI and T20I squads. Siraj, a seasoned Test cricketer for the national team, is not included in the roster for the other two formats. 

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His last T20I match was in July 2024, followed by an ODI appearance in October of this year. The bowler was not selected for India's current white-ball series against South Africa, which includes of three ODIs and five T20Is.

Notably, Siraj was not on the roster for the Champions Trophy earlier this year. He was instead included to the list of 'non-travelling substitutes'.

"Can you understand what is happening with Mohammed Siraj? I cannot understand at all. I cannot wrap my head around the fact that he has become a one-format player. And when did this happen? When he plays Test cricket, we are so effusive of him for his passion, commitment and wicket-taking abilities," Aakash Chopra said in a video on X.

The right-arm bowler has played 16 T20Is and taken 14 wickets, but his ODI statistics are far superior. Siraj has played 47 one-dayers at the highest level, taking 73 wickets. He has a 5.17 economy in this style.

"How did he vanish from ODI cricket? He is playing domestic cricket currently. When he was not picked for the Champions Trophy, we were a little disappointed because two years prior to that, he was the highest wicket-taker for India in ODIs," the former India batter said further in the video.

https://x.com/cricketaakash/status/1996408832130715851?s=20

At a time when India's bowlers are struggling against South Africa in the current three-match ODI series, Chopra posed the query. The team, captained by KL Rahul, struggled to make an impression with the ball despite scoring 349 and 359 in the first and second games, respectively. 

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