"Siraj Deserved Better": Aakash Chopra Questions Selectors’ Choices for Champions Trophy

Aakash Chopra, the former Indian cricketer, has given his views on Mohammed Siraj being left out of the Champions Trophy squad. He was surprised that Hyderabad pacer was left out of the 15 man squad especially when Siraj has been doing well in ODIs. But instead, Arshdeep Singh has been preferred, and Chopra says that Siraj should have been in the team, given his good record in the format.

On his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra expressed his surprise at Mohammed Siraj being left out of the Champions Trophy squad, saying that the pacer had done nothing bad to be left out. Chopra said that India might have picked one less spinner to fit Siraj, who has been a consistent ODI performer. He was also surprised that Harshit Rana was considered for ODIs over Siraj and didn’t understand the reasoning behind that decision.

“He hasn’t done so much wrong that he is not even featured in the squad. I feel for DSP. Siraj, I am feeling for you. Siraj could have been picked. There could have been one lesser spinner. Harshit Rana is also ahead in the ODI queue ahead of Siraj, which is very surprising,” Chopra said on his youtube channel.

Selectors’ Strategy Raises Eyebrows Ahead of Champions Trophy

Aakash Chopra didn’t mince his words when he criticized the selectors for almost letting down the Indian team by virtually announcing the Indian game plan even before the Champions Trophy. He made a joke about not picking a fourth pacer, pointing out that it almost made it obvious that they would only be using two pacers in a match. To Chopra, this move not only restricted India’s bowling possibilities but also provided the opposition with a vital tactical strategy for the tournament, all before a ball had been bowled.

“There are just three fast bowlers, and that is big news for me. When you pick three pacers, you will only play 2 fast bowlers. If you wanted to play three seamers, you would have picked four in your squad. It means that you have decided to play three spinners. You have played your hand before anything has even started,” Chopra added.

India Champions Trophy Squad

Rohit Sharma (C), Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill (VC), Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Washington Sundar, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Kuldeep Yadav