“Mohammed Siraj is one of the unlucky ones”

Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers has called Mohammed Siraj one of the unluckiest players to miss out on the Indian squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. De Villiers said that with Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh as frontline pacers, India opted for Harshit Rana to add depth with the bat, leaving Siraj out of the team.

Siraj was not included in the Indian squad for the ICC event, but he is still part of the ODI setup. The pacer has been named in India’s squad for the home ODI series against New Zealand later this month. Siraj has also shown decent form in domestic T20 cricket, taking seven wickets in four matches during the SMAT.

Mohammed Siraj, one of the unlucky ones to miss out – AB de Villiers

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, AB de Villiers said Mohammed Siraj missed out on India’s T20 plans due to team balance rather than lack of form. He added that the selectors focused on flexibility and overall depth while finalizing the fast-paced attack.

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“We see Siraj in the ODI team, he is one of the unlucky ones to miss out. But it’s a question of balance again,” de Villiers said. “You have Bumrah and Arshdeep. Harshit can also bat. So those are your three seamers.”

Siraj was part of India’s T20 World Cup-winning team in 2024, but has played only three T20I matches since then and none in 2025. The pacer remained in good rhythm during the IPL 2025 season and delivered useful performances for Hyderabad in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

Mohammed Siraj is just a real bowler – AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers believes India’s T20 thinking is no longer heavily dependent on fast bowlers. He said the team now prioritizes effects in the shortest format, and that approach worked against Mohammed Siraj, who is a specialist entertainer, while Harshit Rana provided additional flexibility.

“I think that’s why you went for Harshit because Siraj is just a proper bowler and they don’t want to focus too much on bowling,” de Villiers said.

“The focus is on the spinners. If they get wickets with the seamers from the start, they almost see it as a bonus in a way. So Siraj is out of luck but at least he is in the ODI plans for the 2027 World Cup,” he added.

Harshit Rana’s problem with the new ball – AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers said Harshit Rana is inexperienced with the new ball but India has enough depth to handle that risk. He added that Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh can handle the key early overs, while Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube can share the remaining workload.

“The problem with Harshit Rana with the new ball is that he doesn’t have much experience at the international level. But if he can give you a few overs with Bumrah and Arshdeep, there will be enough and then Shivam and Hardik can fill in. They also cover all the bases with spin and that’s where their focus will be to try and win matches,” he said.

India have opted for a balanced bowling setup for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The fast bowling unit is led by Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana, with additional support from all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube.

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