Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra feels Mohammed Siraj is set to be a big part of India’s plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup, which makes his absence from the recent ODI squad for the England series against the host unexpected.

The 32-year-old fast bowler has struggled to hold down a place in the ODI squad, with his most recent appearance being the one-off Test match against Afghanistan. Mohammed Siraj failed to make the T20I squad for the recent Ireland and England fixtures, and didn’t figure in the ODI series against England that started in Worcester. However, Chopra feels this is just a temporary setback.

Aakash Chopra is confident of Mohammed Siraj’s ODI comeback

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra noted that Mohammed Siraj was dropped from the ODI set-up due to his inefficiency with the old ball, but the India team had trust in the paceman and had faith that he would be a reliable option every time he was needed.

“We sidelined him silently, we did it in ODIs first and said that he is not able to bowl with the old ball. It feels like he was sidelined a little; there is some confusion; he was the first to go, but I think that you will see him as a part of the Indian team. The Indian team has faith in him, and they will say that in case something goes wrong, Siraj will be there, and if he comes, he will give a hundred per cent. I think he will come back into the team, his name will come up in ODI cricket,” Chopra said.

Siraj has played 50 ODIs for India since his debut in 2019, taking 76 wickets at 25.32. His last ODI was also against New Zealand, which was played earlier this year.

However, after being integral to the limited-overs setup throughout 2023, including the World Cup, Siraj has figured in just one ODI series this year and one in 2023. He has been more heavily relied upon in Test matches over the last few seasons.

While the selectors have stated that they do not want to overuse Mohammed Siraj due to his workload, Chopra strongly feels that the pacer will find his way back into the ODI team before the next World Cup.

“I think he will come because he is the kind of player you cannot keep away from the team for too long. There’s so much churn in pacemen these days that you will see if someone is not there today, he will be there tomorrow. So come World Cup, he will be there,” he added.

With India looking to rotate their fast bowling attack in the coming year, Siraj’s experience and reliability with the bat and ball in ODI cricket could make him a valuable player ahead of the 2027 World Cup.