At Auckland on November 4, 2026, India faced New Zealand in the first ODI of the series. The match saw India field a playing XI that included bowling allrounders Anshul Kamboj and Auqib Nabi, along with bowler Gurnoor Brar, despite having Mohammed Siraj available in the squad. India won the match by five wickets under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.

Former India batter Mohammad Kaif has publicly questioned the management's decision to exclude Siraj from the playing XI. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kaif expressed his views on the selection strategy and raised concerns about the broader implications for squad composition.

"I am a little unhappy that Siraj is not getting chances. He is a proven bowler. Is the theory to try new bowlers for the next six months and look at the new lot? I don't know," Kaif said on his YouTube channel.

"But Siraj not playing is beyond my understanding. It is not good if they have dropped Siraj, thinking Anshul, Gurnoor, and Nabi can bat a bit. This has become a trend now. That is why even Kuldeep is not playing," he added.

Why was Siraj left out of the playing XI?

Kaif elaborated on what he believes is driving the selection decision. According to him, the management may be prioritising batting depth in the middle order as a safeguard against potential top-order collapses. He questioned the logic of leaving out a proven bowler in favour of allrounders who could contribute with the bat.

"I think there is some fear that if there is a top-order collapse and Rohit and Kohli do not fire, which is why they are playing Anshul, Gurnoor, and Nabi for batting depth. I do not understand any other reason why Siraj is not playing. If he is in the squad, it means he is fit and available. I think batting is the only reason," Kaif said.

"But I feel they are setting a wrong trend. If these guys are proven bowlers, it raises questions about why they are not getting a chance, even in the absence of Bumrah and Hardik. Siraj and Kuldeep are facing issues due to not having batting skills," he added.

Is there a coordination issue between selectors and management?

Kaif raised concerns about the coordination between the selectors and the team management. He questioned the logic of including Siraj in the squad if he was not going to be considered for ODI cricket. According to Kaif, the decision raises questions about the clarity of the team's selection policy.

"If they consider Siraj only for Tests, why is he being picked in the squad? Is there no coordination between the selectors and management, then? If there is no coordination, then this is bad. If Siraj is in the squad, he has to play. It is unfair to him if he is there and not playing," Kaif said.

At the time of the first ODI, Siraj was engaged in playing the second unofficial Test for India A. He was expected to join the ODI squad in Wellington for the subsequent matches in the series. Anshul Kamboj, who was picked ahead of Siraj, took two wickets in the match and was noted as the pick of the bowlers despite the modest return.