Irfan Pathan names Mohammed Siraj a must-pick for ODI World Cup 2023
Mohammed Siraj in action [Source: Twitter]
On Thursday, India continued their clinical run, defeating Sri Lanka by four wickets in the second ODI in Kolkata. Bowling first, the Men in Blue restricted the Lankan Lions to a paltry 215 and chased it successfully to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Ace Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj had another impressive outing, scalping three wickets for only 30 runs.
After India's convincing victory, former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan reckoned that Siraj would be the first name to make it into India's squad for the upcoming ODI World Cup on home soil.
Pathan, an integral member of India's 2007 T20 World Cup winning squad, hailed Siraj for his splendid bowling with the new ball, expecting him to replicate his ODI success in the shortest format.
Here's what Pathan stated
"From the 50-over World Cup's perspective, Mohammed Siraj has done everything to say that his name should not be forgotten because he is performing regularly. It is not about this series only, you are regularly seeing that Siraj is giving breakthroughs with the new ball in every series India are playing,
"He is moving the ball both ways, bowling fast and improving his level. He will try to convert his ODI form into T20 cricket as well. He is getting so much confidence by playing regularly, you will see his performances improve in the shortest format. But the team management's eyes will only be on the 50-over World Cup."
Siraj was the most successful Indian bowler in ODIs last year, scalping 24 wickets at a magnificent economy of 4.61. Considering his immense potential, the 28-year-old is expected to emerge as India's trump card with the ball in the World Cup scheduled later this year.
 "Debashis Sarangi")
