In the second ODI match against South Africa, Team India suffered a loss by four wickets at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Raipur.
Following the loss against the Proteas, former Team India batsman Aakash Chopra raised a question on Mohammed Siraj`s snub from the 50-over format team.
Speaking about Siraj in a video, Chopra said that the pacer receives all the praises when he showcases his skills in Test cricket. The former cricketer also said that he cannot understand when the Hyderabad-born pacer became a one-format player.
“Can you understand what is happening with Mohammed Siraj? I cannot understand at all. I cannot wrap my head around the fact that he has become a one-format player. And when did this happen? When he plays Test cricket, we are so effusive of him for his passion, commitment and wicket-taking abilities,” he said in a video posted on his official social media handle.
He also said that his exclusion from the Champions Trophy squad left several fans disappointed, considering his rich vein of form in the format.
“But how did he vanish from ODI cricket? He is playing domestic cricket currently. When he was not picked for the Champions Trophy, we were a little disappointed because two years prior to that, he was the highest wicket-taker for India in that format (ODIs),” said Chopra.
Chopra then pointed out that pacers such as Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna are getting their chances, but Siraj is nowhere to be seen in India`s ODI mix.
“Then suddenly, his name [Siraj] is missing. And it`s still missing. Others are playing – Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna, but Mohammed Siraj is nowhere to be seen. He is not in ODIs, absent from T20Is. Why did this happen? Personally, I don`t know. When did he become a single-format player?,” said the 48-year-old former cricketer.
Currently, the three-match ODI series between Team India and South Africa stands tied at 1-1. The third ODI match between Team India and South Africa is scheduled to be played at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.
Later, both teams will engage in the five-match T20I series, starting from December 9.
(With ANI Inputs)
