The journey of Mohammed Siraj in international cricket has been filled with ups and downs, but the fast bowler has consistently found a way to bounce back stronger. Over the last few years, Siraj has established himself as one of India’s most dependable pace bowlers across formats, delivering match-winning performances both at home and overseas. Despite his success, there was a phase when many viewed him primarily as a Test specialist, with questions raised about his effectiveness in white-ball cricket.
However, Siraj has worked hard to change that perception through consistent performances in franchise cricket and on the international stage. His impressive displays for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL, coupled with strong performances for India whenever opportunities came his way, have helped him regain his place in the national setup. Former India batter Aakash Chopra believes the criticism directed at Siraj during that period was premature and unfair.
Aakash Chopra on Mohammed Siraj being labelled a one-format player
Speaking in a video shared on his social media account, Chopra reflected on Siraj’s career trajectory and pointed out how quickly the pacer was categorized as a bowler suited only for Test cricket. According to Chopra, Siraj was written off in the shorter formats despite possessing the skills required to succeed across all forms of the game. He noted that the Hyderabad pacer spent a long period out of favour before making a successful return to India’s T20 plans through strong performances.
“Bahut jaldi humne unko one-format player bana ke choad diya. It was prematurely decided that he could not bowl with the older ball and should be dropped. He was out of favor for a long time, but his fate changed, and he was picked for the T20 World Cup, where he picked up three wickets in his first match, and now he is back again in the T20 reckoning,” Chopra said.
The former opener highlighted that Siraj’s resurgence is a testament to his perseverance and ability to adapt his game. His performances in IPL 2026 and the T20 World Cup helped silence many critics who had questioned his effectiveness in limited-overs cricket.
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Chopra questions Siraj’s exclusion from India’s ODI plans
Chopra also expressed his disappointment over the way Siraj was handled during a particular phase of his international career. He felt the pacer carried a heavy workload in Test cricket but was suddenly sidelined from India’s white-ball plans despite maintaining strong performances.
The cricketer-turned-commentator specifically pointed to Siraj’s omission from India’s squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy, describing it as a decision he disagreed with. While Chopra acknowledged that there could be debates regarding Siraj’s place in the T20I setup, he insisted the fast bowler’s ODI credentials were beyond question.
“There was a period when I genuinely felt that it was not right. You played him in all Tests, where everyone needs workload management, but didn’t think about him. Then, suddenly one day, you said he was no longer part of the ODI team, and then he was removed from T20Is as well; that was not right,” Chopra stated.
Siraj has been rested for India’s ongoing ODI series against Afghanistan, with Prasidh Krishna named as his replacement. However, the fast bowler is expected to return to international action during the upcoming T20I series against Ireland later this month, where he will have another opportunity to strengthen his case across formats.
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