Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has questioned the selectors’ decision to exclude Mohammed Siraj from India’s white-ball teams. Chopra noted that Siraj is increasingly being regarded as a one-format player, primarily for Tests, despite having demonstrated his versatility across formats. He also stated that the pacer appears to have been sidelined in limited-overs cricket without a compelling cause.
Siraj, 26, has played in crucial role in Indian red-ball attack but his ODIs and T20Is appearances have drastically reduced. He was included in the ODI series against Australia where although he could pick up wickets, but bowled tightly with a very good economy. It just goes to show what a good white-ball bowler Siraj is as well,” Chopra said.
“You keep wondering why we don’t see Mohammed Siraj in the ODI setup. Not in ODIs or T20Is. They’ve made him pack his bags and made him only a one-format player. Why are we doing this? I don’t know, and I am a little surprised,” Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
Aakash Chopra Urges Clearer Role for Siraj Across Formats
The comments of Chopra indicate an increasing opinion among fans that India can be doing more with one of its most diverse seamers. Once Siraj could swing the new ball, extract bounce and bowl aggressively through the middle overs, he became an important addition to limited-overs cricketing. His dramatic performance during the Asia Cup 2023 final, in which he took apart Sri Lanka through a masterclass of seven wickets, are one of the most overwhelming ODI performances in recent times.
That being said, Indian selectors have been keener on rotating their pace attack — often resting established bowlers like Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah to give the likes of Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, and Prasidh Krishna a go. Developing young bowlers by exposing them to international cricket is important, but the Indian attack has also failed to cope under demanding, dew-heavy conditions at home.
According to Aakash Chopra, a bowler of the calibre of Siraj should not be confined to one format without any clear-cut communication or argument. As India goes into a congested cricket schedule, featuring major ICC events, his remarks will spark again discussion of how the team management could use its fast-bowling options, and whether Siraj deserves greater involvement in formats.
