Former India batter Mohammad Kaif has questioned the team management’s decision to leave Mohammed Siraj out of the playing XI for the first ODI against New Zealand, saying the senior fast bowler’s omission is “beyond my understanding”.
Speaking on his YouTube channel after India’s five-wicket win in the rain-affected series opener at Eden Park in Auckland, Kaif said he was unhappy that Siraj, a proven bowler, was not getting chances. India went in with four pacers — Arshdeep Singh, Anshul Kamboj, Auqib Nabi and Gurnoor Brar — while Siraj, who is in the squad, watched from the dugout.
“I am a little unhappy that Siraj is not getting chances. He is a proven bowler. Is the theory to try new bowlers for the next six months and look at the new lot? I don’t know. But Siraj not playing is beyond my understanding,” Kaif said. “It is not good if they have dropped Siraj, thinking Anshul, Gurnoor, and Nabi can bat a bit. This has become a trend now. That is why even Kuldeep is not playing.”
Kaif argued the selection was driven by a fear of a top-order collapse. “I think there is some fear that if there is a top-order collapse and Rohit and Kohli do not fire, which is why they are playing Anshul, Gurnoor, and Nabi for batting depth. I do not understand any other reason why Siraj is not playing. If he is in the squad, it means he is fit and available.”
He also questioned the coordination between selectors and management. “If they consider Siraj only for Tests, why is he being picked in the squad? Is there no coordination between the selectors and management, then? If there is no coordination, then this is bad. If Siraj is in the squad, he has to play. It is unfair to him if he is there and not playing.”
Siraj’s absence has a simpler explanation on the workload front. He had finished playing the second unofficial Test for India A against New Zealand A less than 24 hours before the ODI, taking 4 for 118 from 35 overs, and was understood to have been rested. He is expected to join the ODI squad in Wellington for the second match on Saturday, November 7.
But the wider point Kaif and former spinner Murali Kartik have raised is about Siraj’s place in the ODI setup. Kartik, speaking on Cricbuzz, asked why India were “getting rid of Mohammed Siraj”, noting he has taken 77 wickets in 51 ODIs at an average of 25.67 — yet has played only four ODIs in 2026, the last against West Indies in New Chandigarh on October 3. With Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya also absent, the debate over India’s pace-bowling pecking order is unlikely to end with the Wellington XI.
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