Former South African cricketer AB de Villiers has described Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj as "one of the unlucky guys to miss out" on the T20 World Cup 2026 squad, offering a candid assessment of the selection rationale. Speaking on his YouTube channel, de Villiers, who shared the Royal Challengers Bengaluru dressing room with Siraj during multiple IPL seasons, acknowledged the fast bowler's relentless work ethic and ability to consistently hit the deck hard. Siraj, who recently returned to the ODI setup for the January 2026 series against New Zealand, has not played a T20I since July 2024 against Sri Lanka despite a respectable record of 14 wickets in 16 matches at an average of 32.28, including a best of four wickets in an innings.
De Villiers attributed Siraj's omission to the team's emphasis on all-round balance rather than specialist seam bowling. He noted that the Indian selectors opted for Harshit Rana alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh in the pace department, primarily because Rana offers additional batting ability. "Siraj is only an outright bowler, and they don't want to focus too much on seam bowling," de Villiers explained. He highlighted that India's strategy prioritizes spinners such as Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy, who have been key performers in recent T20Is, viewing early wickets from pacers as a bonus rather than the primary plan. This approach allows flexibility, with part-time options like Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya available to complete the bowling quota.
While praising the squad's overall composition, de Villiers pointed out a potential area of concern with Harshit Rana's relative inexperience with the new ball at the international level. However, he expressed confidence that the combination of Bumrah, Arshdeep, and Rana could adequately cover the pace requirements, supported by the all-rounders. The former wicketkeeper-batter emphasized that India's strength lies in its depth and versatility, with players like Kuldeep stepping up when pacers have off days and Hardik providing momentum shifts in the middle overs. He described the current unit as a "championship team" that covers all bases effectively.
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The T20 World Cup 2026, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, is scheduled for February and March. India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, is placed in Group A alongside the USA, Namibia, the Netherlands, and Pakistan. Their campaign begins on February 7 against the USA in Mumbai. The selected squad includes a blend of explosive batters, reliable wicketkeepers, and a bowling attack built around spin dominance and adaptable seam options: Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice-capt), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Washington Sundar, and Ishan Kishan (wk).
De Villiers concluded on an optimistic note for Siraj, stating that his continued presence in ODI plans positions him well for the 2027 ODI World Cup. The comments reflect a broader discussion on selection philosophy in T20 cricket, where multi-dimensional players often edge out pure specialists in a format that demands flexibility and depth. As the tournament approaches, India's balanced squad will be tested against varied opposition in home and regional conditions.
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