As the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 approaches, the global cricketing fraternity has been dissecting India‘s bold squad selection. While the return of Ishan Kishan and the shock omission of former vice-captain Shubman Gill grabbed the headlines, it is the exclusion of a veteran pace spearhead that has caught the attention of South African legend AB de Villiers. De Villiers, who shared a dressing room with many Indian stars at RCBnoted that while the squad is formidable, the absence of this ‘unlucky’ veteran highlights a significant shift in India’s tactical philosophy.

AB de Villiers calls it ‘unlucky’ for Indian pacer to miss the 15-member T20 World Cup 2026 squad

Speaking on his YouTube channel on January 5, 2026, De Villiers labeled Mohammed Siraj as one of the unluckiest players to miss out on India’s 15-member World Cup squad. Despite Siraj’s world-class performance in the recent Test series against England and a solid IPL 2025 season for the Gujarat Titansthe selectors opted for youth and batting depth in the form of Harshit Rana. De Villiers admitted that while Rana lacks international experience, his ability to ‘chip in with the bat’ gave him the edge as the third seamer alongside jasprit bumrah and Arshdeep Singh.

“We see Siraj in the ODI squad, he is one of the unlucky guys to miss out. But that is once again down to the balance. You have got Bumrah and Arshdeep. Harshit [Rana] can hold the bat as well. So there are your three seamers. I think that is the reason why you went for Harshit because Siraj is only an outright bowler.” De Villiers said.

De Villiers explains India’s strategy for the T20 World Cup tournament

De Villiers further explained that India’s strategy for the 2026 tournament, hosted in India and Sri Lankahas shifted away from a reliance on seam bowling. By selecting a spin-heavy unit featuring Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakraborty and Washington Sundarthe team management views the pacers’ role as secondary. De Villiers concluded that India has all bases covered, noting that even if a spearhead like Bumrah has a quiet night, the depth in the spin department and the presence of all-rounders like Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dubey will allow India to maintain momentum.

“They do not want to focus too much on seam bowling. The focus is on the spinners. If they get wickets with the seamers upfront, they almost see it as a bonus in a way. So Siraj is unlucky but at least he is in the ODI plans moving forward for the 2027 World Cup.” De Villiers concluded.