“He’s looked unsettled for quite some time” - AB de Villiers backs decision to drop senior player from India’s 2025 Champions Trophy squad
Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers has said he wasn’t surprised as Team India left out Mohammed Siraj for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. The 40-year-old pointed out that the speedster has looked "unsettled" for the last few months.
The cricketer-turned-commentator reckoned that bowling the extra overs in Tests during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series might have played a role in the team's decision. He further addressed the technical fault behind Siraj's slump with the ball.
AB de Villiers said on his YouTube channel:
"4:32 - I don’t think Siraj’s absence will affect the Indian bowling unit. He’s looked unsettled for quite some time. It might be due to the Australia tour, he bowled a lot of overs and gave his complete energy. He did well sometimes but not enough the other times. I think he is unable to hold the ball strongly."
De Villiers, however, backed Siraj to bounce back strongly.
"5:20- I am disappointed that he didn’t find a place. He’s an incredible bowler, I am convinced he will be back."
"You need strong batting team" - AB de Villiers backs India squad for 2025 ICC Champions Trophy
AB de Villiers further backed India selectors for picking a batting heavy squad for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. He pointed out how Glenn Maxwell helped Australia beat Afghanistan single-handedly with his double century at the 2023 ODI World Cup. He said in the same video:
"1:08 – I think this is a tournament-winning team. First of all, their matches will be held in UAE. This is because they’ve picked a batting-heavy team. It’s because to win big ICC tournaments, you need strong batting team. We’ve always seen Australia and in the World Cup, they batted deep and won the match. For example – Glenn Maxwell’s double century against Afghanistan."
De Villiers added that the likes of Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar can combat any circumstance in the ICC event.
"2:52 – It’s usual that Hardik Pandya is an all-rounder, and Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Washington can bat. This is the key that is important for them. They have a deep batting lineup and enough bowling options. They have options left, right, and the centre, which can cover any circumstance."
"3:36 – For them, the main preference will be Rohit Sharma and other experienced players like Virat Kohli. Jadeja and Hardik Pandya, bring them in form, and ensure they score runs. And we know what youngsters can do," he added.
India's Champions Trophy 2025 squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja.
The Men in Blue are placed alongside Pakistan, Bangladesh, and New Zealand in Group A of the Champions Trophy.