Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India]: Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma described fast bowler Mohammed Siraj’s exclusion from the 15-member squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 as “unfortunate.” He also addressed the team’s strategy regarding fast bowlers, particularly amidst concerns over Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness.
During a press conference on Saturday, Rohit Sharma, alongside chief selector Ajit Agarkar, unveiled India’s squad for the prestigious tournament and the ODI series against England.
Siraj, who made his ODI debut in 2019 and has since played 44 matches, picking up 71 wickets, was left out of the Champions Trophy squad. His most recent ODI appearance was against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2024.
Rohit explained that the selection was based on the need for a balanced attack, where options were available for both new-ball bowling and death bowling. He stated that with Bumrah’s fitness uncertain, they had decided to include Arshdeep Singh, who is expected to handle the death overs.
“We are not sure about Bumrah, whether he is going to play or not. So, we wanted to pick a squad where we have options for both someone to bowl with the new ball and somebody to bowl at the back end. So, obviously, with Bumrah missing or not sure, we wanted Arshdeep to come and play that role of bowling at the back end. And Shami, obviously, we saw what he did with the new ball,” Rohit said.
Rohit also noted that Siraj’s effectiveness is diminished when he does not bowl with the new ball. “That is where we feel that Siraj’s effectiveness comes down a little bit if he is not going to take the new ball. We discussed it at length about it and we are only taking three seamers there because we wanted all these all-rounders with us,” he added.
Despite Siraj’s omission, Rohit acknowledged that the decision was based on the need for players who could perform specific roles. “It’s an unfortunate thing that he has to miss out. But we had no option but to get the guys who could perform a certain role. I personally feel that we have guys who can bowl with the new ball and be effective in the middle and then effective at the back end,” Rohit commented.
Rohit also backed Arshdeep Singh’s ability to handle the pressure in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy, citing his experience in white-ball cricket. “Arshdeep hasn’t played a lot of ODI cricket but he has been around the white-ball circuit for a long time. He has bowled some tough overs in white-ball cricket. So, I definitely think he can handle that pressure,” he added.
India’s next major challenge is the ICC Champions Trophy, which begins on February 19 and runs until March 9. The tournament will be co-hosted by Pakistan and the UAE, with India playing all their matches in Dubai under a hybrid model. The eight-team tournament will feature 15 matches, with the India vs. Pakistan clash scheduled for February 23. India’s campaign kicks off against Bangladesh on February 20, with their final group-stage match against New Zealand on March 2.
India’s squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025:
Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja.