Published: February 12, 2026 at 2:06 pm
Mohammed Siraj was not considered for the T20 World Cup by the selectors but as fate would have it Harshit Rana injured himself during a warm-up game ahead of the tournament and that opened the door for Siraj to walk into the squad.
Things only got better for the Hyderabad Ranji Trophy captain as pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah fell sick and was unavailable for selection for India’s first game against the USA at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Siraj grabbed the opportunity with both hands and legs to show that he should have been originally chosen to be part of the Indian squad. He grabbed three wickets as India romped home after some drama.
Former India wicketkeeper Prathiv Patel said on JioStar show that Siraj had a point to prove and he did it in style. “Mohammed Siraj is someone who likes the big stage and the limelight. There was also a point to prove, as Harshit Rana was playing ahead of him. He got his opportunity, unfortunately, due to Harshit Rana’s injury.
“He has been playing a lot of Ranji Trophy cricket and red-ball cricket. The six-to-eight-metre length is wonderful in white-ball cricket. His first ball, however, was a bit fuller, more of a typical four-day length, where you are trying to swing the ball. But he understood quickly and pulled his length back. Then he got the swing and variation going. Sixty-eight per cent of his deliveries were in the six-to-eight-metre range, a length that creates problems for any batter,” Patel said.
But with Bumrah back in contention, where will Siraj fit in? “Bumrah walks in place of Mohammed Siraj. Siraj had a good game, but India’s main playing eleven had Jasprit Bumrah in it. It is good that Siraj got an opportunity and did really well. If something happens to any of India’s seamers, which we certainly do not wish for, Mohammed Siraj will be ready. However, he will make way for Jasprit Bumrah if Bumrah is fit,” he said.
Patel prefers Rinku ahead of Axar
If another collapse happens like in the USA match, who would be better Axar Patel or Rinku Singh? “Yes, Axar has rightly played the role of stabilising the innings for India in white-ball cricket. But for me, if three wickets fall early or a similar situation arises again in this World Cup, I would prefer Rinku Singh to come in ahead of Shivam Dube and Axar Patel. He is someone who can rotate the strike well, take his time, and then unleash himself,” Patel said.
After the top-order collapse against the USA in their opening game, should India change their approach in the next few games? “India should not change their approach at all. Going into this World Cup, India had a philosophy of playing high-risk, high-reward cricket. Yes, it did not work against the USA, who were very well prepared against Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan. I think the openers should continue playing the way they have been. Abhishek Sharma should go out there and keep hitting the way he has been, especially the sixes we have seen over the last year and a half. Whenever balls are pitched around the stump area, he clips them over square leg, or he likes to create a bit of room for himself. The bowlers will try to bowl at him around the wide line because then he stays away from the ball. That is when he does not get that elevation or power, like what happened at the Wankhede Stadium. For Ishan Kishan, I feel bowlers will try to pitch it as full as possible, like the delivery on which he got out to mid-off, so that he does not get under the ball and get the elevation we are talking about,” Patel said.
Sky has shown a lot of maturity, says Patel
Captain Suryakumar Yadav played a rather uncharacteristic knock but one which was very effective. Is the skipper turning a new leaf? “Suryakumar Yadav showed a lot of maturity in that innings against the USA because it was not your typical Wankhede surface. You had to give yourself a bit of time and make sure you were taking those singles before playing the big shots. It was very evident that until the 15th over, there were not many big shots, mostly fours along the ground. That is the reason he could unleash himself after the 16th over. You could see the big sixes once he was set. On that kind of wicket, especially if you are 77 for six, you have to adapt and move to Plan B. Suryakumar Yadav executed his Plan B really well. To me, he is going to approach this World Cup in a similar manner, assessing the situation before unleashing himself,” he said.
