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Mohammed Siraj, snubbed from Champions Trophy squad, set to play Hyderabad's final Ranji Trophy group game

Jan 20, 2025 08:50 AM IST

Mohammed Siraj will likely miss Hyderabad's match against Himachal Pradesh on January 23, reportedly due to workload management

Fast bowler Mohammed Siraj is the latest India star to join the bandwagon of Test regulars who are all set to feature in the upcoming Ranji Trophy fixtures. Siraj, who was denied a spot in India's ODI team for the impending Champions Trophy tournament, will likely miss Hyderabad's match against Himachal Pradesh on January 23, reportedly due to workload management, but will feature in the side's final group game against Vidarbha next week.

Mohammed Siraj reacts during Border-Gavaskar Trophy series(AFP)
Mohammed Siraj reacts during Border-Gavaskar Trophy series(AFP)

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.

Why was Siraj not picked for the Champions Trophy squad?

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.

However, India captain Rohit Sharma reckoned that Siraj was left out because he was only effective with the new ball. Hence, India picked Arshdeep Singh keeping in mind the clouds over Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness.

“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. "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."

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ICC Champions Trophy , ICC Champions Trophy Schedule , and Champions Trophy 2025 Points Table – stay ahead with real-time match updates, team standings, and insights. Check live cricket score , player stats, and ICC rankings of top players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli . Get expert analysis, match previews, and in-depth coverage of ICC CT 2025, IPL 2025 Schedule and IPL 2025, all on HT Crickit, powered by Hindustan Times – your trusted source for cricket news.
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