India has announced a 15-member squad for the eight-team tournament starting in Dubai from February 19. Keeping in mind the slow pitches of Dubai, four spin bowlers—Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar—have been included.
Discussion on the role of fast bowlers and absence of Siraj
Indian captain Rohit Sharma told the media at the Wankhede Stadium after the team selection that in his plan, priority has been given to the new ball and special bowlers for the death overs.
Rohit said, “We wanted Arshdeep Singh to bowl in the death overs and Mohammed Shami to attack with the new ball. Siraj was not that effective in bowling with the new ball, so this decision had to be taken.”
Focus on all-round players
Emphasizing the role of all-rounders in the team, Rohit said that for this reason only three fast bowlers have been selected. He termed Siraj’s exclusion as unfortunate and said that suitable players are needed for special roles in the team.
Siraj’s journey and performance
Mohammed Siraj has been an important bowler for the Indian team for a long time. He proved himself under the captaincy of Virat Kohli and also gave many good performances under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma. However, he has been struggling to maintain consistency in recent times.
This team selection has been made based on the conditions and team strategy in Dubai, where India has to play all the matches.
