Former India opener Aakash Chopra believes Mohammed Siraj was pushed into a Test-only identity far too quickly, and says the pacer’s white-ball credentials deserve more respect.
A recall and a rethink
Siraj impressed in the IPL for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans and was recalled to India’s T20I set-up for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Despite limited chances there, he made an impact with the ball and strengthened his case as a multi-format option.
Chopra, speaking on his YouTube channel and on X, said it was decided too early that Siraj could not bowl with the older ball and should be dropped. He felt Siraj’s long spell out of favour, followed by his return and World Cup selection, showed that thinking had shifted again.
Questions over past omissions
Chopra also questioned Siraj’s exclusion from major white-ball squads, including the 2025 Champions Trophy, calling it unfair. He pointed to the contradiction of keeping him in Tests, where workload management is crucial, while leaving him out of ODIs and T20Is.
While he accepted there may still be debate about Siraj’s place in T20Is, Chopra said his ODI record leaves little room for argument given his consistency and impact in the format.
What next
Siraj was rested from India’s ODI series against Afghanistan, with Prasidh Krishna coming in as his replacement. He is expected to return for the T20I series against Ireland later this month, when the selectors will again assess his role across formats.
