"He is more dependent on the new ball" - Rohit Sharma explains pacer’s exclusion from Team India Champions Trophy 2025 squad

Team India skipper Rohit Sharma explained about pacer Mohammed Siraj's exclusion from the 15-man squad that was named for the upcoming 2025 Champions Trophy. A press conference for the squad announcement was held in Mumbai today, January 18.

There was huge anticipation for the announcement of the squad, with question marks on who would play and who would be missing from the lineup. Some said Mohammed Siraj would be rested for the England series preceding the Champions Trophy, but the pacer has been left out of the squad altogether.

Skipper Rohit Sharma elaborated on why the selection committee decided to overlook Siraj. He said:

"We only wanted three seamers. It’s unfortunate that Siraj has to miss out. His effectiveness comes down when he’s not bowling with the new ball. We prioritised bowlers who can deliver with the new ball, and be effective in the middle overs, and at the back end. With Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Arshdeep Singh, we believe we have the right balance."

Furthermore, Rohit added:

"With Bumrah’s status unclear, we needed bowlers who can perform across phases. Unfortunately, Siraj is more dependent on the new ball, which limits our options."

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Team India have selected three pacers in their squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy

Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh has been selected ahead of Mohammed Siraj in the squad that was announced today at the press conference. Alongside Arshdeep, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami have been added to the squad.

India's squad for Champions Trophy: Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill (vc), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, and Ravindra Jadeja.

Team India are placed in Group A alongside Bangladesh, Pakistan and New Zealand. Their first game will be on February 20 against Bangladesh, followed by the high-octane clash against arch-rivals Pakistan on February 23.

The last match to the group stages will be played against New Zealand on March 2. All matches will be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai.