[cricknation_live_score match=”‘Mohammed Siraj not playing is beyond my understanding’ – Mohammad Kaif after NZ vs IND 1st ODI”]
- “Mohammed Siraj is not playing, it is incomprehensible to me” – Mohammad Kaif after 1st ODI NZ vs IND Former India batsman Mohammad Kaif has questioned the decision to exclude Mohammed Siraj from the playing eleven in the first ODI against New Zealand in Auckland.
- “Mohammed Siraj is not playing, it is incomprehensible to me” – Mohammad Kaif after the 1st ODI NZ vs IND (Photo source: BCCI/X) On November 4, 2026, India faced New Zealand in the first ODI of the series in Auckland.
- In the match, India fielded a playing eleven that included bowling all-rounders Anshul Kamboj and Auqib Nabi and bowler Gurnoor Brar, although Mohammed Siraj was available in the squad.
“Mohammed Siraj is not playing, it is incomprehensible to me” – Mohammad Kaif after 1st ODI NZ vs IND Former India batsman Mohammad Kaif has questioned the decision to exclude Mohammed Siraj from the playing eleven in the first ODI against New Zealand in Auckland.
“Mohammed Siraj is not playing, it is incomprehensible to me” – Mohammad Kaif after the 1st ODI NZ vs IND (Photo source: BCCI/X) On November 4, 2026, India faced New Zealand in the first ODI of the series in Auckland. In the match, India fielded a playing eleven that included bowling all-rounders Anshul Kamboj and Auqib Nabi and bowler Gurnoor Brar, although Mohammed Siraj was available in the squad. India won the match by five wickets using the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.
Former India batsman Mohammad Kaif has publicly questioned the management’s decision to exclude Siraj from the playing eleven. Taking to his YouTube channel, Kaif expressed his views on the selection strategy and expressed concern about the wider impact on the composition of the team. “I am a bit unhpy that Siraj is not getting any chances.
He is a proven bowler. Is the theory to try out new bowlers over the next six months and study the new batch? I don’t know,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.
“But Siraj isn’t playing, that’s incomprehensible to me. It’s not good if they gave up on Siraj because they think Anshul, Gurnoor and Nabi can bat a bit. This has become a trend now.
That’s why even Kuldeep isn’t playing,” he added. Why was Siraj left out of the starting XI? Kaif explained what he believes influences the selection decision.
According to him, management could prioritize batting depth in the middle order to guard against possible clashes in the upper order. He questioned the logic of leaving out an experienced bowler in favor of all-rounders who could contribute with the bat. “I think there is a fear that if there is a first-class clash and Rohit and Kohli don’t shoot, that’s why they play Anshul, Gurnoor and Nabi because of the batting depth.
I don’t understand any other reason why Siraj isn’t playing. If he’s in the team, it’s because he’s fit and available. I think the batting is the only reason,” Kaif said.
“But I feel like they’re starting a bad trend. If these guys are proven bowlers, this begs the question as to why they are unlucky even when Bumrah and Hardik are not there. Siraj and Kuldeep are facing problems as they lack batting skills,” he added.
Is there a coordination problem between the selectors and management? Kaif expressed concerns over coordination between the selectors and the team management. He questioned the logic of including Siraj in the team if he was not being considered for ODI cricket.
According to Kaif, the move raises questions about the clarity of the team’s selection policy. “If they are only considering Siraj for Tests, then why is he being included in the team? So is there no coordination between the selectors and management?
If there is no coordination, it is bad. If Siraj is in the team, he has to play. “It’s unfair for him to be here and not play,” Kaif said.
At the time of the first ODI, Siraj was involved in the second unofficial Test for India A. He was expected to join the ODI team in Wellington for the following matches in the series. Anshul Kamboj, who was picked ahead of Siraj, took two wickets in the game and was considered the pick of the bowlers despite the modest returns.
