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.

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“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 questioned India’s decision to leave Siraj out of the 2025 Champions Trophy squad. The former cricketer felt the pacer had done enough to retain his place, particularly in the ODI setup, where he has been one of India’s most dependable fast bowlers in recent years.

“There was a period when I genuinely felt that it was not right. You played him in all Tests, where everyone needs workload management, but didn’t think about him,” Aakash Chopra said. “Then, suddenly one day, you said he was no longer part of the ODI team, and then he was removed from T20Is as well; that was not right.”

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“He was not in the Champions Trophy team. I thought that was incorrect. His name should have been there. Maybe you can still understand for T20Is, but his name should be there in ODIs,” he added.

Siraj was rested for the ongoing ODI series against Afghanistan, with Prasidh Krishna brought into the squad as his replacement. However, the Hyderabad pacer remains firmly in India’s plans and is expected to return during the upcoming T20I series against Ireland later this month. With his ability to perform in all conditions and formats, Siraj continues to strengthen his reputation as one of India’s most valuable fast bowlers.