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'We made him a one-format player': Ex-India cricketer questions major selection call Former India batter Aakash Chopra feels Mohammed Siraj was prematurely labelled a one-format player. Chopra argues Siraj has consistently proven his mettle across all formats, particularly in white-ball cricket, despite facing periods of being out of favour. He questioned decisions regarding Siraj's white-ball selections, especially his omission from the Champions Trophy squad.

"We made him a one-format player": Ex-batter's big statement on GT ... Siraj was dropped from the ODI side after the decision-makers felt that he was not good with the old ball. Aakash Chopra is not pleased with the way the Indian Team management has handled Mohammed Siraj in white-ball cricket, questioning his snub. According to him, the right-arm pacer can become a key bowler in shorter formats of the game. Advertisment Add Crictoday As a Trusted Source Siraj was dropped from the ODI side after the decision-makers felt that he was not good with the old ball. The 32-year-old was recalled to one-day internationals during the New Zealand series earlier this year. Siraj also made it to the T20I side after an 18-month absence following an injury to Harshit Rana before the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. He only played against the United States of America and was among the wickets. Chopra feels Siraj has enough talent to perform well across formats, and labelling him a one-format bowler was a premature call. "We made him a one-format bowler soon. It was a premature decision that he was not impactful with the old ball and should be excluded. He was out of the team for a long time, but things c…

We Have Turned Him Into a One-Format Player Too Quickly: Aakash Chopra ... Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has criticized the early perception of Mohammed Siraj as a “one-format player,” arguing that the right-arm fast bowler has since shown his ability to excel across all formats with consistent performances. · / Siraj, who impressed with his performances for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans in the IPL, earned a recall to India’s T20I setup for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Despite limited opportunities, he made an impact with the ball and strengthened his case as a multi-format option for the national side. Chopra, speaking on his YouTube channel and social media platform ‘X’, said Siraj was prematurely written off as unsuitable for white-ball cricket. “Bahut jaldi humne unko one-format player bana ke chhod diya (We made him a one-format player very soon). It was decided too early that he could not bowl with the older ball and should be dropped. He was out of favour for a long time, but his return and T20 World Cup selection show that things have changed again,” Chopra said. The former India opener further questioned Siraj’s omission from major white-ball squa…

'We have made him a one-format player very soon' - Aakash Chopra's ... 'We have made him a one-format player very soon' - Aakash Chopra's massive statement on Mohammed Siraj amid IND vs AFG 2026 ODIs Aakash Chopra believes that Mohammed Siraj was labelled a one-format player very early in his career, but the right-arm seamer has managed to prove himself in the shorter formats as well. By Adreej Kumar Mitra Published - 18 Jun 2026, 14:20 IST 2 Min Read Mohammed Siraj (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images) Aakash Chopra believes that Mohammed Siraj was labelled a one-format player very early in his career, but the right-arm seamer has managed to prove himself in the shorter formats as well. After bowling well consistently for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and then the Gujarat Titans, Siraj was picked in India's squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup, and he did a fantastic job in the limited opportunities he received. "Bahut jaldi humne unko one-format player bana ke choad diya (We made him a one-format player very soon). It was prematurely decided that he could not bowl with the older ball and should be dropped. He was out of favor for a long time, but his fate changed, and he was pi…

Aakash Chopra Defends Mohammed Siraj Against Single Format Label Former India opener Aakash Chopra believes Mohammed Siraj was unfairly labelled a one-format bowler early in his international career, despite repeatedly proving his value across all formats of the game. According to Chopra, the fast bowler has successfully silenced critics with his performances in both franchise and international cricket. Siraj enjoyed another impressive season in the IPL, delivering consistently for both the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in previous years and the Gujarat Titans more recently. His strong performances earned him a place in India’s squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup, where he made an immediate impact despite limited opportunities. “Bahut jaldi humne unko one-format player bana ke choad diya (We made him a one-format player very soon),” Aakash Chopra said in a video posted on X. “It was prematurely decided that he could not bowl with the older ball and should be dropped. He was out of favor for a long time, but his fate changed, and he was picked for the T20 World Cup, where he picked up three wickets in his first match, and now he is back again in the T20 reckoning.” Chopra also quest…