Former South African captain AB de Villiers recently shared his thoughts on India's T20 World Cup squad, describing Mohammed Siraj as one of the most unfortunate players to miss out on selection. Speaking on his YouTube channel, de Villiers, who played alongside Siraj at Royal Challengers Bengaluru, emphasised that while Siraj is a relentless workhorse known for his high intensity, India’s current bowling attack remains exceptionally well-balanced and comprehensive.
AB de Villiers rues Mohammed Siraj's absence from India's T20 World Cup squad
Siraj recently returned to the ODI setup for the January series against New Zealand, but he has not featured in a T20I since July 2024. Despite his reputation for hitting the deck hard and his career stats of 14 wickets in 16 matches, he found himself excluded from the World Cup roster. De Villiers noted that this omission was likely a tactical decision based on team balance, particularly given the rise of Harshit Rana, who offers additional utility with the bat alongside established pacers like Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh.
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The legendary batter also pointed out that India’s strategy for the upcoming tournament seems heavily focused on spin. With Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy performing at an elite level recently, the selection committee opted for a lineup that maximizes variety. While de Villiers expressed disappointment for his former teammate, he concluded that the current squad has all bases covered to compete for the title.
"We see Siraj in the ODI squad, he is one of the unlucky guys to miss out. But that is once again down to the balance. You have got Bumrah and Arshdeep. Harshit can hold the bat as well. So there are your three seamers. I think that is the reason why you went for Harshit because Siraj is only an outright bowler, and they do not want to focus too much on seam bowling. The focus is on the spinners. If they get wickets with the seamers upfront, they almost see it as a bonus in a way. So Siraj is unlucky but at least he is in the ODI plans moving forward for the 2027 World Cup," De Villiers said.
De Villiers observed that while Harshit Rana lacks extensive international experience with the new ball, he forms a capable frontline trio alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep. He believes this combination provides India with a robust pace foundation, even if Rana is still finding his footing on the world stage.
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To round out the attack, de Villiers noted that India can rely on the versatility of their all-rounders. With Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya available to provide vital overs of medium pace, the team has plenty of depth to manage their bowling rotations effectively throughout the tournament.
"The problem with Harshit Rana with the new ball is that he doesn't have a lot of experience at the international level. But if he can give you a few overs with Bumrah and Arshdeep, there is enough overs, and then Shivam and Hardik can fill up. They also cover all bases with spin, and that's where they will focus on trying to win games," he added.
"When Bumrah has a quiet night, a Kuldeep comes through and gets you four and vice versa. Then there is Hardik coming through in the middle and turning the momentum around. Those are the kind of championship teams you want, and India has got all those bases covered," De Villiers concluded.
India's squad for T20 World Cup 2026 and New Zealand T201 series:
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, Ishan Kishan (wk).