Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj always wears his heart on his sleeve, be on-field and off it. Every time he plays or speaks he gives his 200%. The veteran has revealed why he was snubbed from the Champions Trophy and Asia Cup 2025 squads. Notably, India went on to win both the tournaments without losing even one game.
The Continental Cup snub was a bit on the harsher side, though, for Siraj, as he had come from a phenomenal five-match Test series against England, wherein he picked up 23 wickets, and enabled a 2-2 draw for India. However, despite his lion-hearted efforts with the ball in hand, the Hyderabad pacer could just watch from the sidelines as India beat Pakistan to clinch the Asia Cup in Dubai.
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In a candid chat, the Indian pacer revealed that there were no hard feelings about the snubs, just clarity and thought process from Rohit Sharma and management.
“I’m 200 per cent confident of doing well in all three formats when given a chance. We played the Champions Trophy in Dubai, there was heat, and we needed more spinners there, that’s why I wasn’t picked. Rohit (Sharma) bhai told me that most of the bowling would be done by spinners, and he didn’t want me to go there and just sit on the bench. He told me to spend time with family, practice, and work on my fitness,” Siraj said.
Asia Cup exclusion was more to do with rest: Siraj
While most of the players take the exclusions close to the heart, Siraj's response showed that he took it in the right spirit and chose to see the bigger picture.
“The Asia Cup was right after we had returned from the five Tests in England, so it was an opportunity to rest a bit,” he added, explaining how the decision was as much about workload as it was about team balance.
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