Former Australia all-rounder, Shane Watson said that India should consider including Mohammad Siraj in their T20 World Cup 2022 squad if Jasprit Bumrah gets ruled out due to injury. India’s premier pacer is battling the back issue that forced him to miss the Asia Cup 2022. He was also recently ruled out of the ongoing three-match T20I series against South Africa. However, the team management is hopeful that Bumrah proves his fitness for the T20 World Cup later this month.
Although the likes of Mohammed Shami and Deepak Chahar are among the standby cricketers for India’s campaign in Australia, Mohammed Siraj has managed to knock on the doors as he replaced Bumrah for the remainder of the T20I series against South Africa.
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During a recent chat with ICC Review, Shane Watson said, “The player I would put in if Jasprit’s not available is Mohammad Siraj, because of the firepower he presents. Without Bumrah, that’s the one thing India won’t necessarily have, which is vital on Australian wickets on the bigger grounds with the pace and bounce.”
He further added, “Siraj is great with the brand-new ball. He is fast, he swings the ball away but also his defensive skills are pretty good. And he’s got better over the last couple of years, with what we’ve seen in the IPL. So, for me he’s probably going to be the one who is going to have the most impact.”
The former Australia all-rounder further said that Bumrah’s absence will have a huge impact on India’s campaign at the T20 World Cup. Watson said India will definitely be missing Bumrah’s ability to bowl with the new ball and in the death overs.
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Shane Watson further explained, “Honestly, I think it’s going to have a huge impact on India’s chances of winning the T20 World Cup. He is one of the best bowlers in the world and India in particular, with their fast bowlers, he is the main guy who can take wickets with the brand new ball but also is an incredible defensive bowler at the back end of the game. So if Jasprit’s not available to play in this T20 World Cup, then India’s chances drop quite a bit.”
