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Since making his ODI debut for India against New Zealand in November 2022, Arshdeep Singh has played eight matches and has 12 wickets to his name.
Rohit Sharma explains was Arshdeep was preferred over Siraj in India’s Champions Trophy 2025 squad. (Picture Credit: PTI)
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) organised a press conference in Mumbai on Saturday where chief selector Ajit Agarkar and captain Rohit Sharma announced India’s squads for the upcoming three-match ODI series against England as well as the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Former world No. 1 ODI bowler Mohammed Siraj was not picked in any of the squads. Siraj’s exclusion came as a surprise for many fans. India has opted for a three-man pace attack for the eight-team ICC tournament, which is making a comeback after eight years. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami are back in India’s ODI team for the first time since the ODI World Cup 2023, and left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh was preferred as the third fast bowler.
The selection of Arshdeep over Siraj was a big surprise in the squad announcement press conference, but while speaking to reporters, Rohit explained the reason why Arshdeep was picked.
“We wanted to pick a squad where we have options of both somebody to bowl with the new ball and somebody to bowl at the back end. Obviously, with Bumrah missing, we’re 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, and that is where we feel that Siraj’s effectiveness comes down a little bit—if he’s not going to take the new ball,” Rohit explained.
“We discussed it at length, and we are only taking three seamers there because we wanted all the all-rounders (to be available) with us. It’s an unfortunate thing that he (Siraj) has to miss out, but we had no option but to get the guys who can 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, so you need to cover all three facets of the game. With these three boys, I think we can do that,” he added.
Rohit hopes that Arshdeep will do well in ODIs too after already making a big name for himself in the shortest format of the game, where he has 95 wickets to his name in 60 matches.
“Arshdeep hasn’t played a lot of ODIs, but he’s been around the white-ball circuit for a long time. I don’t feel so uncomfortable saying that he’s not experienced,” he said.
“He’s been there (for long) enough, and he’s bowled some tough overs in white-ball cricket. I definitely think he can handle that pressure, and Shami is a stalwart of white-ball cricket, and what he did recently in the (ODI) World Cup was superb to watch,” he added.
