New Delhi: Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj has been resting as a precaution for his ODI leg on the West Indies tour after complaining of ankle pain. Siraj returned home with the rest of the Test squad (R Ashwin, Ajinkya Rahane, KS Bharat and Navdeep Saini) after India won the 1-0 series.
Shardul Thakur to lead India’s bowling attack in absence of Siraj
In Siraj’s absence, Shardul Thakur, who took 50 wickets in 35 games is India’s most experienced seemer. The othe pacers, Umran Malik, Jadev Unadkat and Mukesh Kumar, together have 15 wicket in ODIs. In fact, Mukesh has no experience for this format. Team management did not seek a replacement for Siraj.
In the busy season leading up to the ODI World Cup at home in October, India will play the Asia Cup from late August to mid-September, followed by three ODI Series games against Australia at home in September.
Siraj performance in Test against WI
Siraj, who was not a member of the Caribbean Tour’s T20I squad, was in two Tests, taking five-wicket haul in the first innings in a flat pitch at Port of Spain that kicked off the West Indies’ batting slump.
That tour was preceded by a World Test Championship final against Australia at The Oval, where he took five wickets, including his first four-wicket haul in first innings.
Pace aur swing inki success ka raaz…🔥
A ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ performance by #MohammedSiraj 🙌#JioCinema #SabJawaabMilenge #WIvIND pic.twitter.com/YToLc4smh6
— JioCinema (@JioCinema) July 23, 2023
Siraj’s performance for RCB
He also played a key role in Royal Challengers Bangalore’s 2023 IPL, taking 19 wickets in 14 games, the most by an RCB bowler. Faf du Plessis-led team narrowly miss out on the play-offs.
Siraj’s last ODI appearance
Siraj’s last ODI appearance was at home against Australia in March 2023. He finished the series with five wickets, the most for India and the second most in the series. As of early 2022, Siraj’s 43 wickets is the most ODI record for an Indian bowler.
