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Mohammed Siraj

Overview

Mohammed Siraj is an Indian international cricketer who plays as a right-arm fast-medium bowler. He represents India in Tests and limited-overs cricket, and plays domestic cricket for Hyderabad in the Ranji Trophy. In the Indian Premier League (IPL), he has been associated primarily with Royal Challengers Bangalore (later Royal Challengers Bengaluru). Known for his swing with the new ball and aggressive temperament, Siraj rose to prominence during India's 2020–21 Test tour of Australia and has since become a regular member of the Indian pace attack.

Key facts

Full name Mohammed Siraj
Born 13 March 1994, Hyderabad, Telangana (then Andhra Pradesh), India
Role Bowler
Batting Right-handed
Bowling Right-arm fast-medium
Domestic team Hyderabad
IPL team Royal Challengers Bengaluru (since 2018); previously Sunrisers Hyderabad (2017)
Test debut November 2020 vs Australia, Melbourne
ODI debut January 2019 vs Australia
T20I debut November 2017 vs New Zealand
Jersey number 13

Background and early life

Siraj was born and raised in Hyderabad. His father, Mohammed Ghaus, worked as an autorickshaw driver, and his early years in cricket were shaped by modest financial circumstances. He began playing tennis-ball cricket in local tournaments before moving to leather-ball cricket relatively late compared to many contemporaries. He was inducted into Hyderabad's age-group system and made his first-class debut for Hyderabad in the 2015–16 Ranji Trophy season.

Domestic career

Siraj had a breakthrough 2016–17 Ranji Trophy season, finishing among the leading wicket-takers and helping Hyderabad's bowling attack with consistent pace and movement. His domestic form earned him a national T20I call-up in 2017 and an IPL contract with Sunrisers Hyderabad. He has continued to represent Hyderabad in domestic competitions including the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy when not on national duty.

Indian Premier League

Siraj was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for the 2017 IPL season. From the 2018 season, he joined Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he has since become a senior member of the bowling attack. He has been particularly effective with the new ball in the powerplay. In the 2020 IPL season, he became the first bowler in IPL history to bowl two maiden overs in the same match, a feat achieved against Kolkata Knight Riders.

International career

Early appearances

Siraj made his T20I debut against New Zealand in November 2017 and his ODI debut against Australia in January 2019. His initial outings in white-ball cricket were inconsistent, and he spent the next stretch alternating between domestic cricket and the fringes of the national side.

Australia tour 2020–21

Siraj's Test debut came at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in December 2020 during India's Border–Gavaskar Trophy tour of Australia. The tour coincided with the death of his father shortly before the series, and Siraj chose to remain with the squad. He took five wickets on debut and finished the four-Test series as India's leading wicket-taker, including a five-wicket haul in the final Test at the Gabba in Brisbane, where India achieved a historic series-clinching win. The performance established him as a regular Test bowler.

Subsequent Test cricket

Siraj featured in India's Test tours of England, South Africa and the West Indies, taking wickets in seam-friendly conditions and bowling reverse swing in subcontinental matches. He has been part of India's bowling group through the World Test Championship cycles.

Limited-overs resurgence

From 2022 onwards, Siraj re-established himself in ODI cricket. He briefly held the No. 1 ranking among ODI bowlers in the ICC rankings in 2023. In the final of the 2023 Asia Cup against Sri Lanka in Colombo, he took 6 for 21, including four wickets in a single over, helping bowl Sri Lanka out for 50. He was a key member of India's pace attack at the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, in which India reached the final.

Style and significance

Siraj is regarded for his ability to swing the new ball both ways, generate seam movement, and bowl aggressive short-pitched spells. Across formats he has formed part of India's frontline pace battery alongside bowlers such as Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami. His career trajectory—from tennis-ball cricket in Hyderabad to representing India across formats—has been widely cited in Indian sports media as an example of social mobility through domestic cricket structures.

Awards and recognition

  • Arjuna Award for cricket, conferred by the Government of India in 2023.
  • Player of the Match in the 2023 Asia Cup final for figures of 6/21.
  • Briefly No. 1 ranked ODI bowler in the ICC Men's ODI Bowling Rankings, 2023.

References

  • Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) player profiles.
  • International Cricket Council (ICC) player records and rankings.
  • ESPNcricinfo statistical archives.
  • Indian Premier League official records.