The management of the Indian team ordered Mohammad Siraj to start

Former fan Irfan Pathan has predicted that India will feel the absence of Mohammad Siraj in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. Pathan feels that Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami are returning to international cricket and it will not be easy for them to hit the wickets immediately.

Mohammad Siraj was recently ruled out of the Indian Champions League.

Asked about Siraj’s absence from the ODI squad against England and the Champions Trophy, Indian captain Rohit Sharma made it clear that the team does not see Siraj as an effective bowler in the old ball.

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Irfan Pathan Mohammad Siraj’s absence from the championship trophy

When asked about India’s Champions Trophy squad, Irfan Pathan regretted the absence of Mohammad Siraj. Pathan feels that India has picked too many spins in Dubai.

Former Indian cricketers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami are reportedly coming back from injuries and although they are world-class bowlers, it might be difficult for them to hit the tails immediately. Pathan said Siraj could have played a major role in this.

“You need a back-up. Siraj would be a good option. Playing four spinners in Dubai is not viable. With (Jasprit) Bumrah and (Mohammed) Shami coming back from injury, it won’t be easy right away,” Pathan was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

“A pacer like (Mohammed) Siraj would have filled that gap. It means we hope the polls will go well and we should support them,” he said.

India have selected four candidates for the Champions Trophy 2025, of which three are spin bowling all-rounders. Kuldeep Yadav is the only specialist spinner in the team who is making a comeback from injury. The three spin bowling all-rounders are Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Washington Sunder.

Mohammad Siraj in BGT 2024-25

Mohammad Siraj has played in all five Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but has not been consistent with the ball. The fast bowler picked up 20 consecutive wickets at an average of 31.15. However, he was inconsistent and couldn’t find his rhythm.

Siraj was part of India’s ODI World Cup 2023 squad where the team finished 2nd. The 30-year-old has taken 14 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 33.50. He was also part of India’s title-winning T20 World Cup 2024 squad.

Irfan Pathan’s absence from Mohammed Shami’s 1st T20I against England

Asked about Mohammad Shami’s absence from the first T20I against England, Irfan Pathan replied that Shami knows his body better than anyone else. According to him, the decision to rest Shami was made after a communication between the fast bowler and the team management.

“(Mohammed) Shami always gives honest feedback to the team management, and decisions are made by consensus. It takes time to recover at a high level, especially after playing consecutively. I trust him and his team management to make the right call at the right time,” Patten said.

Mohammed Shami is expected to make a comeback in the first T20I against England at the Kolkata International. However, India played three innings with Arshdeep Singh as the only specialist pacer. The reason for Shami’s absence is not yet clear, but it could be due to team integration.