Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has criticised the selectors for leaving out Mohammed Siraj and Shreyas Iyer from India’s squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. Both players did not find a place in the team announced recently.
Siraj was the highest wicket-taker for India during the recent five-match Test series against England. He took 23 wickets and played an important role in India’s wins at Edgbaston and The Oval. However, the selectors went with Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Harshit Rana as their three main pacers, and kept Prasidh Krishna among the reserved players. Siraj last played a T20I in July 2024, after which he was not considered for the format.
Harbhajan expressed his disappointment on his YouTube channel and said that Siraj could be the X-factor. “I feel that Siraj’s name should have been included as well. Siraj bowled very well in the recent series. Yes, he did a lot of bowling in England, but he also got adequate rest. So he could have been included. If he had been taken, the team would have looked even stronger. The bowling unit would have seemed stronger. I feel that the ‘X-factor,’” he said.
The former off-spinner also spoke about Shreyas Iyer, who was ignored despite scoring 604 runs in the IPL 2025. “I had hoped he (Shreyas Iyer) would get a place in the team. He scored a lot of runs, played in the IPL final, and was in very good form. I thought his name could have been there. As for whose spot he would take, you have to see whose place it would have been. When someone has to be included or left out, a spot is made. But I did not see Shreyas Iyer’s name there, which surprised me a little,” Harbhajan concluded.
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