Wed Feb 19 04:50:07 UTC 2025: ## India Snubs Siraj for Champions Trophy; Pathan Questions Pace Bowling Depth

**Dubai, UAE** – Mohammed Siraj’s absence from India’s 15-man squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy has sparked debate, with former Indian pacer Irfan Pathan voicing concerns about the team’s lack of pace-bowling backup. Siraj, who will instead feature in the Indian Premier League (IPL), was named only as a non-travelling substitute.

The omission is particularly notable given the uncertain fitness of Jasprit Bumrah, who is recovering from injury. Pathan highlighted the risk of relying on potentially underprepared returning players like Bumrah and Shami, arguing that Siraj would have provided crucial depth in the pace attack, especially considering the anticipated spin-heavy conditions in Dubai. “You need a backup pacer. Siraj could have been a good option,” Pathan stated. “In Dubai, playing four spinners isn’t viable.”

The news of Siraj’s exclusion comes amidst a flurry of other updates in his life. Recently, a viral video showed him singing with Zanai Bhosle, granddaughter of legendary singer Asha Bhosle. The pair shared a joint Instagram post expressing their mutual admiration. While initially rumored to be dating, Zanai later clarified their relationship on Instagram, referring to Siraj as her “dear brother.” Siraj also confirmed this, calling her his “sister.”

Adding another layer to the off-field developments, Siraj recently performed Umrah in Mecca, sharing photos of his pilgrimage on Instagram.

India’s squad for the Champions Trophy includes Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, and Varun Chakaravarthy. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shivam Dube join Siraj as non-travelling substitutes.

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