Srinagar: After being left out of India’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 squad, pacer Mohammed Siraj is likely to play last group match of Hyderabad Ranji Trophy campaign.
The India pacer is likely to miss Hyderabad’s match against Himachal Pradesh on January 23, reportedly due to workload management.
According to a report in the Times of India, Siraj, who was recently part of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia, is expected to turn out for Hyderabad’s last group game. The side is currently placed sixth in Group B after claiming just one win in five matches while two ended in a draw.
“He has some workload concern so will not be playing the first game. But will, in all likelihood, turn up for the last game vs Vidarbha,” a Hyderabad Cricket Association official told the national daily.
Not long along, the Hyderabad-born pacer was the top-ranked ODI bowler in the ICC rankings chart. Since 2023, he picked up 47 wickets in the 50-over format, 14 of which came during the 11 matches at the World Cup at an economy rate of 5.68. Moreover, no India bowler has picked up more wickets than Siraj (71) in ODIs since 2022, with the right-armer third in the overall list.
“We wanted to pick a squad where we have options of both – somebody to bowl with the new ball and at the back end,” Rohit said in a presser. “Obviously, with Bumrah missing, or not sure, we wanted Arshdeep to come and play that role of bowling at the back end.
“Shami, we saw what he did with the new ball (at the World Cup) and that is where we feel Siraj’s effectiveness comes down if he is not taking the new ball and with Arshdeep and Shami in the squad, we had no option but to select guys who can fulfill all three facets of bowling: bowling at the start, in the middle, and at the death.”