India’s captain Rohit Sharma has addressed the exclusion of fast bowler Mohammed Siraj from the 15-man squad for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy. The team management opted for Mohammed Shami’s return to the ODI set-up, while left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh was selected over Siraj.
Rohit explained that Arshdeep’s ability to bowl with the new ball and his control during death overs were key factors in his selection. "We are not sure about Bumrah, whether he is going to play or not. So, we thought we wanted someone who can bowl with the new ball and at the backend. So we picked Arshdeep to bowl at the backend. Shami, we all saw what he can do with the new ball," Rohit Sharma said.
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Rohit also highlighted Siraj’s preference for bowling with the new ball, noting that his effectiveness decreases when he is not in that role. "Siraj, his effectiveness comes down when he is not bowling with the new ball. It's an unfortunate thing that he has to miss out. But, we had no option but to get the guys who can perform a certain role. I personally feel we have guys who can bowl with the new ball, bowl in the middle, and bowl at the backend. With these three bowlers, we think we can do that," Skipper said.
The Indian captain also provided insight into the selection of other players, including Shami, who has returned after recovering from Achilles tendon surgery. Rohit spoke about the potential of Arshdeep and the promising form of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Harshit Rana. "Arshdeep has been part of the white-ball setup for a while. We believe in his ability under pressure. Shami is a proven performer. Harshit has shown potential, so we needed to back him," he explained.
Rohit added that Jaiswal’s recent performances in the last 6 to 8 months earned him a place, despite not having played in ODIs.
India’s squad for the Champions Trophy is as follows:
- Rohit Sharma (c)
- Shubman Gill
- Virat Kohli
- Shreyas Iyer
- KL Rahul (wk)
- Rishabh Pant (wk)
- Hardik Pandya
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Axar Patel
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Washington Sundar
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Mohammed Shami
- Arshdeep Singh
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
