India Pacer Backed To Shine In IPL After Champions Trophy 2025 Snub: "Wasn't There..."
Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has backed an India pacer to stake a claim for an India comeback with his performances in IPL 2025.
IPL 2025 is set to get underway in just a few days, and could be the platform for many players to make a case for a spot in the Indian team. One such player, who has slightly fallen out of favour in recent months, will be pacer Mohammed Siraj. The 31-year-old has lost his place in both white-ball formats, and was not part of India's Champions Trophy-winning squad. However, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra feels the IPL could be a good chance for Siraj to get back in the reckoning.
Siraj was purchased for a hefty fee of Rs 12.25 crore by one-time IPL champions Gujarat Titans (GT). He is expected to fill the hole left by their previous pace spearhead Mohammed Shami, who will appear for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) this year.
Chopra expressed surprise that Siraj has lost his spot in India's white-ball teams, and backed him to be the man to fill the boots of Mohammed Shami for Gujarat Titans.
"It's a huge opportunity for Mohammed Siraj because he has been completely left out in white-ball cricket," Chopra said, speaking on his YouTube channel.
"He wasn't there in the Champions Trophy squad. Why wasn't he there? No one is taking his name in T20s either. Even Bengaluru (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) let him go," Chopra added.
"I would feel that Shami's absence can be filled by Siraj. With the new ball, he can wreak havoc," Chopra said further.
The biggest criticism of Siraj has been the fact that he can go for a lot of runs, particularly in the death overs. Siraj has an economy rate of 8.65 over his eight-year IPL career, and has given away nine runs or more per over in two of the last three IPL seasons.
However, Siraj also brings a cutting edge with the new ball. One of the best new ball bowlers in India, Siraj has taken 34 wickets in his last two seasons combined.
At Gujarat Titans, Siraj will be joined by two potent fast bowlers. South Africa's Kagiso Rabada is arguably the biggest name in the GT bowling attack, while Prasidh Krishna has the ability to pick up regular wickets through the middle and death overs.
GT will be aiming to bounce back from an eighth-place finish in IPL 2024, under the captaincy of Shubman Gill, who is now also India's vice-captain in ODI cricket. They kickstart their IPL 2025 campaign against Punjab Kings on Tuesday, March 25.
Gujarat Titans
India Cricket Team