India cricket team should beware of putting Mohammed Siraj in trouble with injury by picking him for ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The marquee 50-overs tournament is scheduled to get underway from February 2025, less than a month after India will complete the gruelling IND vs AUS Test series in Down Under. Should Rohit Sharma and co. want to ensure efficient workload management for the Hyderabad bowler, then he must be rested from the squad for CT 2025.
Why India should not pick Mohammed Siraj for CT 2025
Siraj has so far played all three Tests in Australia and is likely to feature in the last two matches as well. The pacer, known to be a work horse, is one of India’s finest all-format bowlers and currently plays second fiddle to Jasprit Bumrah. So far, he has played seven Tests on the trot without a break, something that isn’t easy for any pacer. And to ask Siraj to immediately shift to an ODI mindset will be harmful for him, as it could trigger an injury.
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Not to forget, Siraj did have an injury scare in IND vs AUS 3rd Test after walking off the field for a brief bit. Later, Bumrah revealed that the pacer had been carrying a niggle and continued to bowl despite that, showing his dedication to the team. While this might have been a brave decision, given that the fate of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series will determine India’s World Test Championship (WTC) final chances, it won’t be the smartest of the decision to ask him to bowl throughout Champions Trophy as well.
Siraj is one of India’s prime bowlers in ODIs, having taken 71 wickets from 44 matches and boasting of an economy rate of 5.18. But the Men in Blue do have other options who they can consider as Siraj’s replacement for Champions Trophy. The Indian pace battery without Siraj would feature the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora among a plethora of other options that the selectors can choose from. Besides, India will look to Siraj amid the uncertainty over Shami. But, in order to avoid another Shami-like situation, the team has to tread carefully with Siraj and not take a risk with him in CT 2025.
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