Because the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 approaches, the worldwide cricketing fraternity has been dissecting India‘s daring squad choice. Whereas the return of Ishan Kishan and the shock omission of former vice-captain Shubman Gill grabbed the headlines, it’s the exclusion of a veteran tempo spearhead that has caught the eye of South African legend AB de Villiers. De Villiers, who shared a dressing room with many Indian stars at RCB, famous that whereas the squad is formidable, the absence of this ‘unfortunate’ veteran highlights a major shift in India’s tactical philosophy.
AB de Villiers calls it ‘unfortunate’ for Indian pacer to overlook the 15-member T20 World Cup 2026 squad
Talking on his YouTube channel on January 5, 2026, De Villiers labeled Mohammed Siraj as one of many unluckiest gamers to overlook out on India’s 15-member World Cup squad. Regardless of Siraj’s world-class efficiency within the current Take a look at collection in opposition to England and a strong IPL 2025 season for the Gujarat Titans, the selectors opted for youth and batting depth within the type of Harshit Rana. De Villiers admitted that whereas Rana lacks worldwide expertise, his capability to ‘chip in with the bat’ gave him the sting because the third seamer alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh.
“We see Siraj within the ODI squad, he is without doubt one of the unfortunate guys to overlook out. However that’s as soon as once more right down to the stability. You’ve got Bumrah and Arshdeep. Harshit [Rana] can maintain the bat as effectively. So there are your three seamers. I believe that’s the reason why you went for Harshit as a result of Siraj is just an outright bowler.” De Villiers mentioned.
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De Villiers explains India’s technique for the T20 World Cup match
De Villiers additional defined that India’s technique for the 2026 match, hosted in India and Sri Lanka, has shifted away from a reliance on seam bowling. By choosing a spin-heavy unit that includes Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy and Washington Sundar, the crew administration views the pacers’ function as secondary. De Villiers concluded that India has all bases lined, noting that even when a spearhead like Bumrah has a quiet night time, the depth within the spin division and the presence of all-rounders like Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube will permit India to take care of momentum.
“They don’t wish to focus an excessive amount of on seam bowling. The main focus is on the spinners. In the event that they get wickets with the seamers upfront, they virtually see it as a bonus in a method. So Siraj is unfortunate however at the very least he’s within the ODI plans transferring ahead for the 2027 World Cup.” De Villiers concluded.
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