Mohammed Siraj retorted to the Champions Trophy snub for the first time at the media conference before starting his IPL campaign for Gujarat Titans. 

Speaking at a pre-season press conference, Siraj addressed his omission, highlighting his effectiveness with both the new and old balls.

“I have taken the most wickets with the old ball in the past year among the world’s ten fastest bowlers. My economy rate is also low.  The numbers speak for themselves.  I have performed well with both the new and old balls,” he stated.

Ahead of the season, Siraj confidently backed his abilities, asserting that his recent performances prove his worth as one of the world’s top bowlers.

His exclusion from the Champions Trophy squad came after India captain Rohit Sharma pointed out his limitations with the new ball.  Instead, selectors opted for Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana as backup seamers.

“Siraj’s effectiveness comes down a little bit if he’s not going to take the new ball. We discussed it at length, and we are only taking three seamers there (CT) because we wanted all the all-rounders with us,” Rohit explained during the squad announcement.

Siraj, who was India’s second most overworked bowler after Jasprit Bumrah last year, last played in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.  While he was rested for the T20I series against England, he was overlooked for the ODIs that followed, culminating in his Champions Trophy snub.

Despite this setback, the Gujarat Titans’ ₹12.25 crore signing is keen to prove himself in the IPL after being left out of India's Champions Trophy squad. In a recent warm-up game, he showcased his skills by delivering five yorkers, signalling his intent to make an impact in the tournament.