Being the highest wicket-taker with 23 wickets in the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj broke a number of records during the five Test series. The 31-year-old Mohammed Siraj not only matched Jasprit Bumrah’s tally of 23 wickets in a Test series taken in 2021-2022 series against England but also became the first opposition bowler after Shane Warne in 2005 to take nine wickets or more at The Oval with his nine-wicket haul in the final Test at The Oval.
While Mohammed Siraj, who plays for Gujarat Titans in IPL, who was part of Indian T20 World Cup winning team last year, had last played a T20I for India in July 2024 and missed on a spot in Indian T20I team for Asia Cup.
With the Asia Cup 2025 squad announcement done , all eyes were on Team India’s final 15. Among the many talking points, the biggest trend on social media is around pace spearhead Mohammed Siraj, whose participation in the tournament is under doubt. Speculation is rife that Mohammed Siraj may be rested by the selectors after his incredible workload during the recently concluded India vs England five-Test series.
Mohammed Siraj bowled the highest number of overs among Indian pacers in the series, often carrying the attack single-handedly on docile wickets. His spells were critical in helping India claw back and eventually manage a 2-2 series draw, a result hailed as a gritty success against the English side.
However the Ajit Agarkar led team decided to rest Mohammed Siraj for the white ball leg as he was snubbed from the squad in Asia Cup 2025.This didnt go well with the former selector MSK Prasad who slammed the management for exclusion of Mohammad Siraj from the squad.
Former selector MSK Prasad slams the mangaement for excluding Mohammed Siraj from the Asia Cup 2025
Former Chairman of India’s men selection committee, MSK Prasad believes that Mohammed Siraj should have been picked in the 15-man squad for the Asia Cup 2025. MSK Prasad feels that unless the 30-year-old was rested, he had to be included in the squad for the continental tournament that starts on September 7th.
He added that he would have picked two out of Mohammed Siraj, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer in the squad for the Asia Cup 2025. He said to Cricbuzz :
“My issue is not just about Iyer, but Mohammed Siraj too. Unless he has been rested as part of workload management, he should have been in the squad. He was the Player of the Match in the last Asia Cup (50-over) final.
“When they had the option of taking 17, they could have gone with the full-strength. I would have included two of the three – Iyer, Siraj and Jaiswal. That said, I can also understand why they may have avoided picking 17. Having too many players on the bench puts pressure on the XI.”
While Yashasvi Jaiswal was included as one of the five standby’s , Mohammed Siraj and Shreyas Iyer were niether the part of the main squad or the part of the reserves.
The physical toll has been evident. Earlier this year, Mohammed Siraj also missed the prestigious Champions Trophy 2025 due to team combination and fitness concerns, fueling debates about whether he is being overworked under India’s jam-packed calendar.
Mohammed Siraj was the only bowler among both the squads that played all 5 Tests in Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025.With the Asia Cup set to be played in the T20I format in the UAE from September 9 to 28, selectors led by Ajit Agarkar might feel it is wiser to manage the fast bowler’s workload, keeping the larger picture in mind.
India has a ready pool of fast-bowling options, including Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, and Arshdeep Singh, which gives the team management flexibility to rotate resources. Resting Mohammed Siraj now could ensure he remains fresh for the bigger challenge the 2026 T20 World Cup.
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