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Mohammed Siraj breaks silence on being overlooked for T20 World Cup: ‘Team is quite good on paper’
Mohammed Siraj breaks his silence on being overlooked for the upcoming T20 World Cup set to be played in India and Sri Lanka.
India pacer Mohammed Siraj finally broke his silence on being overlooked for the upcoming T20 World Cup on Saturday. The 31-year-old has represented the national team in 16 T20Is, scalping 14 wickets at an economy rate of 7.79; however, he hasn't played a T20I for India since July 2024. The speedster had a respectable Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season with the Gujarat Titans; however, he has been overlooked for the shortest format, with the likes of Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh preferred over him.
For the T20 World Cup, which will be played in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8, India have named three frontline pacers - Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep and Rana, while Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube are also likely to chip in with the ball as pacers whenever it's required.
It is worth noting that Siraj was part of the T20 World Cup-winning team in 2024, when India defeated South Africa in the summit clash at Barbados to end its ICC trophy jinx.
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"I played in the last T20 World Cup, but not this time. For a player, playing in a World Cup is a dream; playing for your country is even better. The team is quite good on paper and in form. My best wishes to them. Keep the trophy here," Siraj told reporters ahead of the third and final ODI against New Zealand.
Siraj made his way into the ODI squad for the series against the Kiwis after being rested for the previous series against South Africa last year. The pacer was quick to point out the benefits of the workload being managed as he brushed aside the notion of being in and out of the white-ball setup.
"I was rested from the last ODI series against South Africa because I had bowled 40 overs in the second Test against them in Guwahati. I haven’t been in and out. I played in Australia in the ODI series, then was rested against South Africa. For a fast bowler, adequate rest is very important. Been playing Test matches consistently, and you end up working out a lot. You need to refuel to maintain the rhythm and focus," said Siraj.
India are placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, USA, Namibia and the Netherlands in the T20 World Cup and the Suryakumar Yadav-led side will begin their title defence on February 7 against the US at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Series between India and New Zealand on level terms
The three-match series between India and New Zealand stands on level terms, and the decider will be played on Sunday, January 18, at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.
Speaking of the series, Siraj said, “The way we played the first match and the second match, it was very good cricket. Because in the first match, you will see that the bowling department and the batting department performed very well.”
"As for the second match, there was an opportunity there but the catch was dropped. If they had taken the catch, then the result would have been something else," he added.
