Is Siraj Now a One-Format Player?, Why Is He Not Playing Against South Africa?

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Is Siraj Now a One-Format Player? Why Is He Not Playing Against South Africa?: In the recent thrilling One Day International (ODI) series between India and South Africa, India struggled to defend a mammoth total of 359 runs despite brilliant centuries from Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad. Following the defeat, questions were raised about the team's bowling performance, and the absence of Mohammed Siraj, a key pillar of the Indian fast bowling attack, became a topic of discussion.

Siraj was not part of the Indian squad for this ODI series. His absence surprised not only fans but also cricket experts.

Why was Mohammed Siraj out of the ODI squad against South Africa?

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The reason for Mohammed Siraj's absence was believed to be 'workload management', but questions arose when it was revealed that despite being out of the national team, he was playing for Hyderabad in the domestic tournament Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) at the same time.

Why was Siraj not playing ODIs against South Africa?

• Was he really rested? If the break was for workload management, why was he playing domestic matches in the T20 format?
• Is he only a Test player now? Siraj has performed brilliantly in ODI cricket over the past few years, yet he remains a white-ball player. Why is he missing from the setup?

Aakash Chopra's scathing attack: "Why is Siraj being made a one-format player?"

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Former Indian cricketer and renowned broadcaster Aakash Chopra has openly criticized the selectors' decision and raised serious questions about their strategy.

Siraj's 'disappearance' from ODI cricket

Chopra expressed his deep disappointment that a top-class bowler like Siraj has been left out of the ODI team. He said on X (formerly Twitter), "Can you understand what's happening with Mohammed Siraj? I don't understand at all." He pointed out that Siraj, until two years ago, was one of India's leading wicket-takers in ODIs, but now his name is missing.

Chopra said on X, "Can you understand what's happening with Mohammed Siraj? I don't understand it at all. I can't understand how he's become a one-format player."

Also Read: Watch highlights: Virat Kohli scores 53rd ODI century

Failure of workload management

Chopra directly rejected the argument that Siraj is being rested. He said, "He's currently playing domestic cricket." If he's fit to play for Hyderabad in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, why hasn't he been included in the national ODI team?

Strategy to create a one-format player

Aakash Chopra's biggest allegation is that the BCCI selectors are deliberately limiting Mohammed Siraj to Test cricket. According to him, this is a dangerous sign of keeping one of India's best bowlers away from the ODI and T20I formats.

The Danger of Relying on Inexperienced Bowlers

Chopra cited India's ODI defeat against South Africa, saying that Siraj's absence was felt when less experienced bowlers like Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna conceded a lot of runs. He believes that leaving Siraj out is a very risky strategy to build bench strength.

Conclusion: Selectors must answer

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At present, no official and satisfactory explanation has been given by the selectors or the BCCI for leaving Mohammed Siraj out of the ODI squad.

If the decision was due to workload management, his participation in domestic cricket weakens this argument. Meanwhile, if this is a strategy to strengthen bench strength, experts like Aakash Chopra believe it's a huge risk to keep India's best fast bowler out of white-ball cricket. Until the selectors clarify the situation, Mohammed Siraj's absence will remain a major question mark over Indian cricket's selection policy.

Also Read: Watch Video: Ruturaj Gaikwad scores his first ODI century, See Highlights

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