“Wasn’t Able To Digest”- Mohammed Siraj Accuses India Captain For Champions Trophy Omission

Many fans and pundits of the game couldn't believe their eyes when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selectors decided to omit Mohammed Siraj, one of their premier pacers, from the Indian 50-over side for the Champions Trophy 2025.

The Indian captain, Rohit Sharma, mentioned that the Hyderabad-born doesn’t have the same quality in bowling with the old ball in the middle overs, rather than inside the first six overs with the new ball. Though the Blue Brigade went on to win the title, most of the credits go to the spinners.

Mohammed Siraj proves the selectors wrong with successive ‘Player of the Match’ awards.

During the Gujarat Titans’ previous game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Mohammed Siraj claimed the Player of the Match award for his phenomenal figures of 3/19 in four overs at an economy rate of below five.

The right-arm pacer collected the wickets of Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, and Liam Livingstone to break Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s back at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Also Read: Watch- Virender Sehwag Embarrasses Murali Kartik

From his seven years of home ground to his actual home ground, the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, the expectations were high for the 31-year-old.

On the last ball of his opening over, Siraj sent back aggressive Travis Head, who started the innings with two boundaries for the Sunrisers Hyderabad. The left-handed Australian batter flicked the middle and leg ball towards mid-wicket into the hands of Sai Sudharsan.

In his third over of the game, Mohammed Siraj dismissed SRH’s other opener, Abhishek Sharma, on 18 runs. The Punjab-born, going for the aerial route, lofted the ball towards mid-on as Rahul Tewatia took a comfortable catch.

Returning for his last over, the veteran found Aniket Verma plumb before the stumps. The batter missed the flick shot. Siraj finished with magical figures of 4/17 in his four overs to earn a second consecutive Player of the Match award.

Mohammed Siraj opens up on Champions Trophy 2025 snub

In the SRH vs GT fixture, Siraj recorded his name with the best-ever IPL figures with his 100th scalp in the tournament. It was a self-battle for the pacer, who couldn’t make it into the 15-member Indian squad for the Champions Trophy. The selectors went with experienced Mohammed Shami and debutant Harshit Rana in the spin-heavy squad.

After the seven-wicket victory over Hyderabad, Mohammed Siraj didn’t shy away from highlighting the emotional toll of the snub and how his support system helped him channel the frustration into a match-winning performance.

“When you come to your home ground, it is a special feeling. My family was there in the crowd, and that lifted me. I have played for seven years for RCB, and I have worked hard on my bowling and also on my mindset; It is working well for me.” The right-arm pacer was addressed in the post-match presentation.

“At one time, I was not able to digest it (having not been picked for Champions Trophy), but I kept my spirits up and worked on my fitness and game.” He revealed.

Mohammed Siraj aims to extend the purple patch for the Gujarat Titans

In four IPL games, he is the best bowler for Gujarat Titans, with nine wickets at an average of 13.77 and an economy rate of 7.75. He dreams of extending the good performance for the 2022 champions in the deep end of the event.

Also Read: Watch- MS Dhoni Confirms His Decision On IPL Retirement

“As a professional, when you are consistent with the Indian team, a doubt grows in your mind (on him being dropped) but I cheered myself up and was looking forward to the IPL."

"When you’re not selected, it does cross your mind. But I wanted to be ready for IPL. When you execute what you are trying to deliver, you stay at the top.” Mohammed Siraj concluded.

Gujarat’s next IPL 2025 game will be against the Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.