Mohammed Siraj will replace Harshit Rana for the upcoming T20 World Cup, as announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Rana is out of the tournament due to a knee injury sustained during a warm-up match against South Africa in Navi Mumbai.
Rana left the field after bowling just one over, appearing to be in pain. Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav noted that the injury did not look good ahead of their first match on Saturday.
Siraj will join the pace attack with Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh as the key fast bowlers. Hardik Pandya will serve as the seam-bowling all-rounder, while Shivam Dube may also bowl if needed.
Siraj was part of India’s victorious T20 World Cup squad in 2024 but had limited contributions, taking only one wicket in three matches, averaging 57 with an economy rate of 5.18. He was replaced by Arshdeep Singh later in the tournament. Siraj has not played a T20I since July 2024 and has appeared in 16 matches total, taking 14 wickets at an average of 32.28.
It is unlikely that Siraj will be part of India’s starting XI, as the bowling lineup is well established. India’s T20 World Cup campaign kicks off against the USA on February 7 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. They are in Group A alongside Pakistan, Namibia, the USA, and the Netherlands.
In another update, Sri Lanka has also made a squad change. Eshan Malinga is out of the tournament due to a shoulder injury from the T20I series against England on February 1. Pramod Madushan has been named as his replacement. Madushan has played 13 ODIs and eight T20Is for Sri Lanka.
