Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has backed the team management’s decision to leave Mohammed Siraj out of the playing XI for the third ODI against New Zealand. The legendary batter believes India should focus on winning the ongoing series rather than making selection decisions based on preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa. The third ODI between India and New Zealand, scheduled to take place in Hamilton on Tuesday, November 10, was abandoned due to persistent rain.

India had decided to retain the same playing XI that featured in the first two matches, despite Siraj being available for selection. During a discussion on Sony Sports, Sunil Gavaskar was asked about Siraj’s continued absence from the playing XI and whether the Hyderabad pacer would feature in India’s plans for the 2027 World Cup. The former India opener cautioned against looking too far ahead and cited England’s approach to international cricket as an example of how future planning can sometimes affect present results.

“Firstly, we are making the mistake that happens in England always. If England is going to Australia to play the Ashes that winter, they think only about the Ashes and lose the matches that are played in their summer. We have to think about what we need now. South Africa will be thought about when it’s time for that. Firstly, you have to win the series here,” Sunil Gavaskar explained.

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He further stressed that India should prioritise completing a successful New Zealand tour, especially with an important Test series approaching. According to him, the 2027 World Cup is still a year away, making discussions about the ideal bowling combination premature.

“You have won the T20 series, and if you win this series, you will go into the Test matches with great confidence. There is one more year left for South Africa. We shouldn’t think about whether Siraj or (Jasprit) Bumrah should be there. We are thinking too far ahead,” he said. Sunil Gavaskar also pointed out that the team management wants to maintain stability rather than make unnecessary changes to a successful combination.

He compared Siraj’s situation with Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s absence from India’s T20I playing XI when Ishan Kishan was available. Despite calls for Suryavanshi’s inclusion, the management continued with its preferred opening combination of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson.

“We are winning matches with Brar, Arshdeep, Nabi, and Kamboj. So why should you break that? Why fix it if it ain’t broken? Siraj has probably been called so that our batters get good practice in the nets,” Sunil Gavaskar added.

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Interestingly, Siraj is part of India’s squad for the final two ODIs against New Zealand, unlike several other players preparing for the upcoming Test assignments. His participation in the remaining matches and availability for the Test preparations remain to be seen. Gavaskar believes Siraj can benefit from bowling in the nets against experienced batters such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer. Such preparation could help the pacer regain his rhythm and find the right lengths before the two-Test series.