Mohammed Siraj’s humble upbringing in Hyderabad to becoming India’s most reliable Premier Test pace bowler is truly an inspiration to all the young bowlers who dare to dream big. This article will cover the remarkable cricketing journey of Mohammed Siraj.

Early Days  of Mohammed Siraj

Mohammed Siraj was born in a humble home in Hyderabad. His Father was an autorickshaw driver, and his mother a housewife.

Like any kid of his age, Siraj also started playing cricket with a tennis ball, and by age 16, he became serious about cricket.

Like in a movie script, the young Siraj showed up to his first club game in slippers only to impress everyone with a 9-wicket haul. Suddenly, this boy from Hyderabad was now getting noticed in the cricket circles.

Mohammed Siraj’s Domestic Cricket Debut

At age 21, Mohammed Siraj was selected for his state team and made his Ranji Trophy debut in  2015-2016 season.

Mohammed Siraj’s true calling came in the second Ranji Trophy season when he took 41 wickets in 9 games becoming the leading wicket taker in India’s premier domestic competition which propelled his selection to the India A squad. Suddenly Mohammed Siraj name started doing the rounds for senior national selections.

Mohammed Siraj’s IPL Debut

Mohammed Siraj was on the must-have list for most scouts in the IPL, and when Siraj was put up in the IPL 2017 IPL auction at a base price of Rs 20 Lacs, it was Sunrisers Hyderabad who secured him for a massive Rs 2.6 crores.

In his first IPL season, Siraj took 10 wickets in the six games he played, thus impressing his coach VVS Laxman and captain/mentor David Warner.

In 2018, Siraj moved to Royal Challengers Bangalore  and was lucky to play under the leadership of Virat Kohli helping his career immensely. In a short period, Mohammed Siraj became Kohli’s go-to bowler in IPL, especially at the death over stage.

Siraj, with his 11 wickets, got retained by his franchise for the next IPL season.

Mohammed Siraj’s International Debut

Mohammed Siraj made his International debut on November 2017 in the T20 series against New Zealand . He made his ODI debut in January 2019 against Australia down under and made his Test debut against Australia in December 2019 at the MCG.

Personal Loss just before debut

In November 2020, during the quarantine phase ahead of the Australian series down under, Mohammed Siraj’s father passed away. A grieving Siraj took the heartbreaking decision to stay back in Australia and make his debut to honor his father’s dream of his son playing for India.

After India’s humiliating loss in the first Test, where the Indian team was famously bowled out for 36 in their second innings, Siraj made his debut in the Boxing Day Test. India won the match by 8 wickets with Siraj taking 5 wickets in his debut.

Mohammed Siraj – The Bowler

Mohammed Siraj is blessed with a smooth bowling action, and his action allows him to be less prone to injuries as compared to other bowlers. Over the years, under the guidance of his local coaches and then with India’s bowling coach Bharat Arun, Siraj added new skills in his bowling. A naturally gifted off swing bowler, Siraj added the inswing, back of the hand slower balls and cutters. He was also helped by India’s Ace and his bowling partner, Jasprit Bumrah.

Mohammed Siraj did not forget his humble beginnings and has stayed true as a cricketer with his discipline and hard work helping to become better with every season.

The Rise of Mohammed Siraj as the new India Strike bowler – 2025 England Test Series

Mohammed Siraj has been part of the Indian bowling squad since 2020. He has been in the shadows of Jasprit Bumrah, who is currently the No.1 all-format bowler in the world. During this period under Jasprit Bumrah’s guidance, Mohammed Siraj has grown into one of the leading strike bowlers for India and takes on the lead bowlers role in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah.

In Bumrah’s absence , Siraj lifts his game to become the senior statesman in the team.

In the recently concluded 2025 Test series in England, ‘The Anderson- Tendulkar Trophy’ , Siraj had to play the lead bowler’s role with Jasprit Bumrah missing two out of the five match series.

Siraj took 23 wickets in five Tests, tirelessly played all 5 test matches and bowled a mammoth 185 overs. His bravado in the last hour of play on day 5 helped India square the test series 2-2.

He also became only the third Indian bowler after Kapil Dev and Vinoo Mankad to take 10 or more wickets in all five Tests of an overseas series thrice in his career.

While Siraj has been guilty of leaking runs in the past, he has quickly become a strike bowler for his side. His dedication and aggression on the field allows him to bowl long spells without dropping pace . He is praised for his workhorse stamina.

Siraj the All-format bowler

While Siraj is an all-format bowler, experts say he saves his best for Test cricket. But records have suggested that Mohammed Siraj has been equally effective in the shorter format of the game too. Siraj has earned a BCCI central contract across all formats, ie. In Test, ODI and T20I format.

Key Performance of the Workhorse – Mohammad Siraj  

Summary

Siraj is ‘Miya Bhai’ for his teammates.  Siraj’s evolution as a bowler is an example of self-belief and continuous improvement.

From a boy playing in the streets of Hyderabad to becoming India’s premier bowler, the story of Mohammed Siraj is inspirational to all the young cricketers who has an aspiration to play for the tricolor.  His exceptional showing in the 2025 England Test series confirmed his status as a world-class pacer and a dependable workhorse across formats.

 

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Raghunath Nair

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