Asia Cup 2025: 'Will miss the X-factor' - India legend concerned over Siraj's exclusion from squad

India’s squad for the Asia Cup 2025 has sparked debate and discussion, with several high-profile names missing from the 15-member roster picked by selected by the Ajit Agarkar-led All India Men's Senior Selection Committee. Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has also shared his views on the squad selection, noting that several names who deserved to be in have gone missing.

The biggest talking point has been the omission of Shreyas Iyer, who recently led his IPL franchise Punjab Kings to the finals and scored 604 runs in the 2025 season. Harbhajan stressed that the Men in Blue will miss Mohammed Siraj’s ‘X-factor’ even more. Siraj was India's hero with the ball in the recently concluded England tour, finishing with 23 wickets. Harbhajan believes he could have been as effective in the continental tournament as well.

"I feel that Mohammed Siraj's name should have been in the team. Siraj bowled very well in the recent series (against England). If he had been taken, the team would have looked even stronger. The bowling unit would have seemed stronger. I feel that the X-factor that Siraj brings might be somewhat missed," Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.

The right-arm pacer has been absent from India’s T20I setup ever since the team lifted the T20 World Cup 2024 title. While out of the shortest format, he has been a pivotal figure in the Test side, claiming over 20 wickets each in the five-match away series against Australia and England, and even finishing as the leading wicket-taker in the series against England.

Harshit Rana picked as third pacer

Despite his red-ball success, Siraj has found himself sidelined from India’s white-ball plans in recent times, missing out on the Champions Trophy 2025 as well. For the Asia Cup, the selectors have opted for Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Harshit Rana as the three specialist seamers, with Hardik Pandya providing an additional pace option.

While Arshdeep stands as India’s all-time leading wicket-taker in T20Is and Bumrah’s class remains unquestionable, the inclusion of Rana has attracted criticism. With limited international experience, the young pacer faces pressure to justify his selection. Notably, Prasidh Krishna, who clinched the Purple Cap in IPL 2025 with 25 wickets, is the only pacer among the reserves. Siraj, too, had a decent IPL season, finishing with 16 wickets while turning out alongside Krishna for the Gujarat Titans (GT).