'Unlucky to miss out': AB de Villiers on Mohammed Siraj
What's the story
Former South African captain AB de Villiers has expressed his views on the exclusion of Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj from the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup squad. De Villiers said that Siraj's omission was more about team balance than individual performance. He emphasized that India's selection committee prioritized depth and versatility in their pace attack, especially with all-rounder options.
Selection strategy
De Villiers explains India's selection strategy
Speaking on his YouTube channel, de Villiers said, "We see Siraj in the ODI squad; he is one of the unlucky guys to miss out. But that is once again down to the balance. You have got Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh. Harshit Rana can hold the bat as well." He further explained that India's selectors prioritized depth and flexibility in their pace attack, especially with all-rounder options.
Tactical shift
Shift toward spin-heavy combinations
De Villiers also noted India's tactical shift in T20 cricket, saying, "I think that is the reason why you went for Harshit because Siraj is only an outright bowler, and they do not want to focus too much on seam bowling." He added that the focus has shifted toward spinners, especially with the World Cup being played in home conditions.
Information
India's squad for T20 World Cup 2026
India's squad: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Axar Patel (vice-captain), Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, and Rinku Singh.
Plans
Siraj's ODI comeback and prospects
Despite being left out of the T20 World Cup squad, Siraj remains a key part of India's white-ball plans. He recently returned to the ODI setup for the impending three-match series against New Zealand at home. This shows that selectors still consider him an integral player ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup. According to ESPNcricinfo, Siraj has taken 73 wickets from just 47 ODIs at an incredible average of 24.67.