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DSP Siraj Angry! Ex-RCB Pacer Takes Fiery Dig At Rohit Sharma For Champions Trophy Snub

Soumyajit Dutta

Rohit Sharma and Mohammed Siraj [Source: @ImRo45/X.com]Rohit Sharma and Mohammed Siraj [Source: @ImRo45/X.com]

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India pacer Mohammed Siraj’s exclusion from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 squad has ignited debate, with skipper Rohit Sharma attributing the decision to the seamer’s perceived limitations with the old ball. Notably, despite being a linchpin in India’s pace attack across formats for nearly three years, Siraj was overlooked after Jasprit Bumrah’s injury. 

While India triumphed in Dubai, Siraj has now publicly countered Rohit’s rationale, citing statistics to defend his prowess in all phases of the game.

Siraj Cites Stats to Counter Rohit’s "Old Ball" Critique

The controversy highlights the tension between recent form and historical performance, with Siraj’s dip in the last six months clashing against his match-winning displays in the Australia Test series. 

At a pre-IPL press conference, Mohammed Siraj dismissed suggestions of his inefficiency with the older ball, stating, 

“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.” 

His remarks directly challenge Rohit Sharma’s explanation during the squad announcement, where the captain emphasized tactical priorities. Notably, Rohit had earlier clarified, 

“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 (CT) because we wanted all the all-rounders with us. It's an unfortunate thing that he has to miss out, but we had no option but to get the guys who can perform a certain role.”

Siraj's Focus Shifts to IPL and England Tour

When questioned about his Champions Trophy omission, Mohammed Siraj remained pragmatic. 

“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,” he said.


“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.”

Meanwhile, Siraj has been smoking fire in the GT camp with the ball as he preps for the upcoming IPL season. The IPL stage also becomes a platform for him to throw befitting replies to his omission even after stellar form.