New Delhi

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra questioned Mohammed Siraj's recent exclusion from India's ODI team and said that he cannot wrap his head around the fact that Siraj has become a one-format player.

This comes after India failed to defend 359 in the second ODI against South Africa in Raipur. Siraj has been impressive in Test cricket, taking 139 wickets in 45 matches, but has been in and out of the white ball squad. He was part of the ODIs in Australia last month, but was not picked for the South Africa white ball series.

Despite Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad smashing centuries and India scoring over 350 runs, South Africa won the match with four balls to spare.

"Can you understand what is happening with Mohammed Siraj? I cannot understand at all. I cannot wrap my head around the fact that he has become a one-format player. And when did this happen? When he plays Test cricket, we are so effusive of him for his passion, commitment and wicket-taking abilities," Aakash Chopra said in a video posted on his X account.

Siraj has had a decent outing in the 50-over format, scalping 73 wickets in 47 fixtures at an average of 24.67 and an economy rate of 5.17, with a five-wicket haul under his belt. The 31-year-old pacer was part of the Indian Test team, but is currently playing the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Hyderabad.

"But how did he vanish from ODI cricket? He is playing domestic cricket currently. When he was not picked for the Champions Trophy, we were a little disappointed because two years prior to that, he was the highest wicket-taker for India in that format (ODIs)," Chopra added.

Chopra noted that Siraj has been missing from the white-ball format while Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna are playing.

"Then suddenly, his name (Siraj) is missing. And it's still missing. Others are playing - Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna, but Mohammed Siraj is nowhere to be seen. He is not in ODIs, absent from T20Is. Why did this happen? Personally, I don't know. When did he become a single-format player?" Chopra concluded.

In the second ODI, Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna struggled with economy rates, with Rana conceding 70 runs in 10 overs, taking one wicket, and Krishna giving away 85 runs in 8.2 overs, taking two wickets.

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With this win, the three-match ODI series is levelled at 1-1, with the series to be held on Saturday at the Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam.