Aakash Chopra On Mohammed Siraj (Source: @cricketaakash/x.com, @Siya7232/x.com)
Glory and heartbreak often walk hand in hand, and Team India felt it sharply in the last ODI against South Africa. Despite Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad’s centuries along with a giant total, the Men in Blue tasted a heartbreaking defeat.
As India’s bowling disaster led the way towards the heartbreaking end, Mohammed Siraj’s notable absence grabbed the attention. It's not just fans, as former Indian batter Aakash Chopra voiced about Siraj’s suspicious snub from India’s ODI side.
Aakash Chopra questions Siraj’s surprising ODI omission
After the Test horror, Team India made a sharp comeback in the ODI series against South Africa, but the rhythm was interrupted in the second match. Despite India putting on a total of 358 runs, depending on the heroics of Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad, they failed to defend the target due to their horrible bowling show.
Arshdeep Singh was economical, but Prasish Krishna’s expensive spell cost big for the Men in Blue. Standing in that moment when India was searching for some breakthroughs, fans missed Mohammed Siraj, who is not in the squad. After the disappointing bowling show, former India star Aakash Chopra took to his X handle to question Siraj’s surprising exclusion from the squad.
“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,” he said.
Is Siraj being pushed into a single-format role?
Mohammed Siraj is dazzling in the red-ball format for Team India but his sudden white-ball absence is raising eyebrows. Left out of the Champions Trophy, recalled for Australia, and now dropped again and his roller-coaster selection has fans puzzled. Aakash Chopra questioned the logic behind Siraj’s snub.
“But 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 that format (ODIs),” he added.
Adding more to it, pacers like Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana are given chances, not just in ODIs, even in T20s. Taking a sharp dig at the management, Aakash Chopra questioned whether Team India is quietly slotting Siraj into a one-format tag.
“Then suddenly, his name [Siraj] is missing. And it's still missing. Others are playing - Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna, but Mohammed Siraj is nowhere to be seen. He is not in ODIs, absent from T20Is. Why did this happen? Personally, I don't know. When did he become a single-format player?” he added.
While defending the total, Team India’s bowling turned into a nightmare. Arshdeep Singh struck twice to keep a grip on the game, but Prasidh Krishna bled 85 runs in 10 overs, and Harshit Rana followed with a pricey 70 in his spell. With India’s attack in shambles, South Africa cruised to a four-wicket win.
