ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Indian team management ordered Mohammed Siraj's induction

Former allrounder Irfan Pathan reckons that India will feel the absence of Mohammed Siraj in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Pathan feels that Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami are returning to international cricket and it won't be easy for them to hit the stripes straight away.

Mohammed Siraj was recently dropped from India's squad for the Champions Trophy as the selectors decided to go with the left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh for his death-bowling skills.

When Indian captain Rohit Sharma was asked about Siraj's absence from the ODI squad against England and the Champions Trophy, he clearly stated that the team doesn't see Siraj as an effective bowler with the old ball.

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Irfan Pathan on Mohammed Siraj's absence from the Champions Trophy

When Irfan Pathan was asked about India's Champions Trophy squad, he regretted the absence of Mohammed Siraj. Pathan feels that India have selected too many spinners for the conditions in Dubai.

The former India cricketer feels that Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami are returning from injuries and they might find it tough to hit the stripes straight away despite being world-class bowlers. According to Pathan, Siraj could have played an important role in this aspect.

“You need a backup pacer. Siraj could have been a good option. In Dubai, playing four spinners isn’t viable. With (Jasprit) Bumrah and (Mohammed) Shami returning from injuries, it won’t be easy for them straight away," Pathan was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

"A pacer like (Mohammed) Siraj would have filled that gap. That said, we hope the selectors’ choices perform well, and we should back them,” he added.

India have selected four spinners for the Champions Trophy 2025 with three of them being the spin bowling all-rounders. Kuldeep Yadav is the lone specialist spinner in the squad and he too is returning after an injury. The three spin bowling allrounders are Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar.

Mohammed Siraj in BGT 2024-25

Mohammed Siraj played in all five Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but didn't have a great series with the ball. The fast bowler picked up 20 wickets in the series at an average of 31.15. However, he was inconsistent and failed to find his rhythm.

Siraj was also a part of India's ODI World Cup 2023 team where the team finished runners-up. The 30-year-old picked up 14 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 33.50. He was also a part of India's title-winning T20 World Cup 2024 squad.

Irfan Pathan on Mohammed Shami's absence from 1st T20I vs England

When asked about Mohammed Shami's absence from the first T20I against England, Irfan Pathan replied that Shami knows his body better than anybody else. According to him, the decision to rest Shami would have been taken after the communication between the fast bowler and the team management.

“(Mohammed) Shami always provides honest feedback to the team management, and decisions are made through mutual communication. Recovery at the highest level takes time, especially after playing consistently. I believe he and the team management will make the right call at the right time,” Pathan observed.

Mohammed Shami was expected to make an international comeback in the first T20I against England at Kolkata. However, India played three spinners with Arshdeep Singh as the lone specialist pacer. The reason for Shami's absence isn't clear yet but it might be due to the team combination.