Hyderabad: Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj is set to represent Hyderabad in the Ranji Trophy after being dropped from the Indian squad for the upcoming white-ball series against England and the subsequent Champions Trophy 2025.
He has begun gearing up for the upcoming Group B Ranji Trophy match for Hyderabad against another former champion, Vidarbha, to be played in Nagpur from January 30 to February 2.
Mohammed Siraj takes part in training session in Hyderabad
The pacer started his preparations with a training session at the Gymkhana Grounds in Hyderabad on Tuesday.
India skipper Rohit Sharma said the 30-year-old right-handed pacer had lost his effectiveness with the old ball and was thus dropped from the team following India’s poor performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia.
In a post on X on Tuesday, Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) said, “Mohammed Siraj gets into gear for the upcoming #RanjiTrophy match between Hyderabad and Vidarbha! He kicked off his prep with an intense session at Gymkhana grounds TODAY!”
The HCA also shared a video on X showing Siraj bowling at full steam in the nets to local batters.
From Sunrisers Hyderabad to Gujarat Titans: Know Mohammed Siraj’s IPL journey
Ranji Trophy
Vidarbha are currently leading the points table in Group B with 28 points from five matches, with Himachal Pradesh in second place with 21 points. Hyderabad is presently sitting in sixth position with nine points from five matches, including one win, two losses, and two draws.
Jagan Mohan Rao, the President of the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), told IANS that he didn’t know the reason behind Siraj not being available for the game against Himachal Pradesh on January 23.
Rao added that there’s a likely chance of Siraj playing the next Ranji Trophy game for Hyderabad, where they will be up against table-toppers Vidarbha, starting on January 30 in Nagpur.
Mohammed Siraj wasn’t picked for India’s squad for the three ODIs against England and the ICC Champions Trophy.
In ODI matches from 2022 to 2024, Siraj picked up 71 wickets at an average of just 22.97, the most by an Indian pacer in this period.
IPL 2025
In the 2025 IPL Mega Auction, Mohammed Siraj’s career reached a new peak when he was signed by the Gujarat Titans for an impressive Rs 12.25 crore.
Starting with a base price of Rs 2 crore, Siraj attracted intense bidding wars from Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals before Gujarat Titans ultimately secured his services.
Notably, RCB chose not to use their Right to Match (RTM) card, marking the end of Siraj’s six-year association with the team.
With inputs from IANS
