Champions Trophy: Rohit reveals why Siraj wasn't picked in India squad

Md Siraj's name was missing as Rohit Sharma and Ajit Agarkar announced India's squad for the ODI series vs England and ICC Champions Trophy

After much anticipation, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma and chief selector Ajit Agarkar, on Saturday, announced India’s squad for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy and the three-match ODI series against England, both of which are scheduled to start next month. The announcement was made through a press conference from the BCCI headquarters at Wankhede in Mumbai.

 

To everyone’s surprise, India picked only three pacers for both events, with Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Arshdeep Singh named in the squad for both the ODI series and the Champions Trophy. Meanwhile, youngster Harshit Rana was included as Bumrah’s substitute for the ODI series against England. However, a notable omission was Mohammed Siraj, whose name was widely expected to feature in the squad.

 

Rohit Sharma addressed Siraj’s exclusion, stating that with the team combination they had in mind, Siraj would not have been able to bowl with the new ball, reducing his effectiveness. “That is why, unfortunately, he has to miss out,” Rohit explained.

 

Rohit explains Arshdeep’s inclusion over Siraj

 

Rohit Sharma elaborated on the rationale behind choosing Arshdeep Singh over Mohammed Siraj for the Champions Trophy squad. With Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness not entirely certain, the team required a bowler capable of delivering effectively in both the initial and death overs. Rohit noted that while Shami made his return, Siraj’s impact diminishes when he does not bowl with the new ball.

 

Siraj could have been our fourth pacer

 

Rohit also clarified that the decision to omit Siraj stemmed from the team’s strategy to select only three seamers in the squad, opting instead for multiple all-rounders to enhance the team’s balance. He remarked, “If our plans included four pacers, Siraj was definitely the most likely to have his spot in the team.”

 

India’s squad for ODI series vs England and ICC Champions Trophy 2025

 

Rohit Sharma (c)

Shubman Gill (vc)

Virat Kohli

Shreyas Iyer

KL Rahul

Hardik Pandya

Axar Patel

Washington Sundar

Kuldeep Yadav

Jasprit Bumrah

Mohammed Shami

Arshdeep Singh

Yashasvi Jaiswal

Rishabh Pant

Ravindra Jadeja

Harshit Rana (only for England series)