Former India batter Mohammad Kaif has questioned the team management’s decision to leave Mohammed Siraj out of the playing XI for the first ODI against New Zealand in Auckland on November 4, 2026. Despite having the experienced pacer available in the squad, India opted for bowling all-rounders Anshul Kamboj and Auqib Nabi, along with Gurnoor Brar, in their bowling combination. India eventually secured a five-wicket victory through the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method. However, the selection call attracted attention, particularly because Siraj is an established international bowler with considerable experience across formats.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Mohammad Kaif expressed disappointment over Siraj’s absence and questioned whether the management was using the series to test younger bowling options ahead of future assignments. “I am a little unhappy that Siraj is not getting chances. He is a proven bowler. Is the theory to try new bowlers for the next six months and look at the new lot? I don’t know,” Kaif said. “But Siraj not playing is beyond my understanding. It is not good if they have dropped Siraj, thinking Anshul, Gurnoor, and Nabi can bat a bit. This has become a trend now. That is why even Kuldeep is not playing,” he added.
Kaif believes the team management could be prioritising batting depth while selecting the playing XI. He suggested that concerns about a possible top-order collapse, particularly if Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli fail to deliver, might be influencing the combination. According to the former batter, India appear to be favouring players who can contribute with the bat, even if it means leaving out proven specialists such as Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav.
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“I think there is some fear that if there is a top-order collapse and Rohit and Kohli do not fire, which is why they are playing Anshul, Gurnoor, and Nabi for batting depth. I do not understand any other reason why Siraj is not playing. If he is in the squad, it means he is fit and available. I think batting is the only reason,” Mohammad Kaif said.
He further argued that such a selection approach could create the wrong impression about the importance of specialist bowlers in the Indian setup.”But I feel they are setting a wrong trend. If these guys are proven bowlers, it raises questions about why they are not getting a chance, even in the absence of Bumrah and Hardik. Siraj and Kuldeep are facing issues due to not having batting skills,” he added.
Mohammad Kaif also questioned the clarity of India’s selection policy, particularly regarding Siraj’s inclusion in the squad despite not featuring in the opening ODI.
“If they consider Siraj only for Tests, why is he being picked in the squad? Is there no coordination between the selectors and management, then? If there is no coordination, then this is bad. If Siraj is in the squad, he has to play. It is unfair to him if he is there and not playing,” he said.
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However, Siraj was playing the second unofficial Test for India A when the Auckland ODI took place and was expected to join the senior squad in Wellington for the remaining matches. Meanwhile, Kamboj, who was selected ahead of him, picked up two wickets and emerged as India’s leading wicket-taker in the match.
