Mohammed Siraj breaks silence on missing out on T20 World Cup squad
Mohammed Siraj has finally broken his silence on Shubman Gill missing out on the T20 World Cup squad following his earlier reaction. The Indian pacer talked about his mentality, frustration and motivation.
After Shubman Gill, Mohammed Siraj finally addressed his absence from India’s T20 World Cup squad and extended his best wishes to the Men in Blue. Siraj, who was part of the 2024 T20 World Cup winning team, was not even included in the upcoming ICC event. He has not participated in a T20I match since July 2024. Speaking to the media ahead of the 3rd ODI against New Zealand, Siraj said playing in the World Cup was a “different dream”. The right-arm pacer featured in three matches and took one wicket in the 2024 T20 WC.
“I played in the last T20 World Cup, I did not play this time. It is a different dream for a player to play in the World Cup; to play for your country. The team is quite good on paper and in form. I wish them all the best. Keep the trophy here,” Siraj said.
Additionally, Siraj stated that he was rested in the ODI series against South Africa and was not featured much in the ODI squad.
“I was rested in the last ODI series against South Africa because I bowled over 40 overs in the second Test. I didn’t go in and out. I played in Australia (ODI series) then I got rest (against South Africa). Adequate rest is very important for a fast bowler. I play Test matches constantly and you end up training a lot. You need to refuel to maintain rhythm and focus,” he added.
With 14 wickets in 16 T20Is, Siraj has played 49 ODIs and 45 Tests since making his India debut in 2017. He took 139 wickets in Tests and 75 wickets in ODIs.
Jasprit Bumrah will lead India’s pace attack in the 2026 T20 WC, supported by Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh and all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube. Pandya bowls regularly in T20Is, while Dube can take important wickets.
India will launch its campaign against the US on February 7 in Mumbai. They will play their second match against Namibia on February 12. On February 15, India will face arch-rivals Pakistan in Sri Lanka. The reigning champions will complete the league stage with a match against the Netherlands on February 18.
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