Mohammed Siraj rested for ODI series vs West Indies, flies back home- Reports

Siraj rested for ODI series against West Indies

Mohammed Siraj will be given a break during the ODI leg of the West Indies tour as a part of a plan to manage his workload and prepare him for the 2023 World Cup.

According to the report, no decision has been made yet regarding Mohammed Siraj's replacement. With the first ODI set for Thursday, India's pace attack will feature Jaydev Unadkat, Umran Malik, Shardul Thakur, and the uncapped Mukesh Kumar (in ODIs).

Mohammed Siraj was also not included in the India squad for the five-T20I series in the West Indies. The decision to rest him seems to have been made with an eye on India's upcoming commitments. The ODI team is scheduled to participate in the Asia Cup, starting from August 30, with all of their matches taking place in Sri Lanka. This tournament holds significant importance in India's preparations for the ODI World Cup, which will be held in October-November. As an essential member of the white-ball setup, Siraj's fitness is of utmost importance in the team's plans.

Selectors looking to manage workload of key bowlers

Siraj was expected to lead the Indian pace attack in the absence of Mohammed Shami, who is also given a rest. However, the decision to rest Siraj has been made with the bowler's workload in mind. Siraj had the opportunity to play in both Tests during the series against West Indies, and in the second Test in Port of Spain, he managed to take a 5-fer, showcasing his impressive bowling skills.

India Squad for ODI series against West Indies

Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Umran Malik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jaydev Unadkat, Mukesh Kumar, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Ishan Kishan (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad