Mohammed Siraj does not want to think about a comeback to international cricket. Instead Mohammed Siraj wants to focus on improving himself and giving stellar performances for GT in IPL 2025.
The Hyderabad cricketer Mohammed Siraj, one of the very few Indian cricketers who is a regular in all three formats, has in fact, missed a lot of cricket since playing the fifth Test against Australia at Sydney in early January. Mohammed Siraj was not a part of India’s white-ball squads for the home series against England. However, this has not dampened his spirits. Mohammed Siraj doesn’t want to put himself under pressure by thinking about selection.
Mohammed Siraj’s surprize exclusion in ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Even when pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of the tournament with a back injury, India picked Harshit Rana as his replacement, not Mohammed Siraj. Fast bowler Mohammed Siraj was a surprise exclusion from India’s Champions Trophy squad. India speedster Mohammed Siraj was excluded from the Rohit Sharma-led ICC Champions Trophy 2025 squad. The pacer’s exclusion from the squad was a surprise because he was ranked in the top five of the ICC ODI rankings when snubbed from the Champions Trophy squad.
The right-arm pacer was ranked in the top five of the ICC ODI rankings when snubbed from the Champions Trophy squad. Astonishingly, even when pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of the tournament with a back injury, India picked Harshit Rana as his replacement, not Mohammed Siraj.
Team India initially picked Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah as their two pacers for the mega event but the Men in Blue updated their squad as Bumrah was ruled out of the tournament with a back injury, India picked Harshit Rana as his replacement, not Siraj.
Mohammed Siraj is one of the Indian cricketers who features in all formats of the game but he missed a lot of cricket since the fifth Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. Mohammed Siraj was not part of India’s white-ball squad against England just before the Champions Trophy 2025. Despite losing his spot on the national side, Mohammed Siraj doesn’t want to put himself under pressure by thinking about selection.
Mohammed Siraj breaks long silence on Champions Trophy 2025 snub ahead of IPL 2025
After missing out on the Indian squad in the Champions Trophy, coming back to the Indian team is not in the mind of Mohammed Siraj who was last featured in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia and now remains focused on the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Gujarat Titans.
Reflecting on being snubbed for the Champions Trophy, which India went on to win, Mohammed Siraj does not want to delve into the matters that are out of his control and wants to put his time and attention into his performances instead.
“Look, selection is not in my hands. I have only a cricket ball in my hands and I wanted to do as much as I can with that. I don’t want to put pressure on myself thinking about selection, as I want to focus on my performance,” he shared as quoted by PTI.
“Yeah as a player, it remains in the back of your mind that there is a tour of England and the Asia Cup but I don’t really seriously think about it, as my focus is on IPL and doing well for Gujarat Titans and helping them win another IPL title,” he added.
The time away from international cricket has certainly given Siraj the time needed to work on his fitness and bowling and also take some rest ahead of the upcoming campaign.
“I have been playing for some years now, and usually, we don’t get that much rest. But now that I have got some time off, I have worked on my fitness and bowling skills,” he shared.
“I have worked really hard with how to bowl with new and old balls, and I wanted to work on my slower balls and yorkers. This time I really used to work on those areas, and let’s how things pan out for me in this IPL,” he added
He is particularly pleased to work with the former Indian cricketer-turned-coach, Ashish Nehra who has built a fine reputation for himself after his association with the Titans and Mohammed Siraj will be banking on this partnership to improve his bowling.
“As a fast bowler, Ashu bhai has done a lot for Indian cricket, he was a genuine match winner for the country. I want to learn some things from him that I feel will improve me as a bowler,” he commented.
“It’s very important for me to add those new skill sets to my bowling such as bowling stumps to stumps line and bowling at the right length,” Siraj noted.
Mohammed Siraj’s new journey with Gujarat Titans (GT)
India’s star pacer Mohammed Siraj unleashed fire while taking part in the Gujarat Titans (GT) intra-squad practice match ahead of their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. During the intra-squad match on Wednesday, Siraj wreaked havoc with his brilliant bowling. Mohammed Siraj kept on bowling fiery yorkers and tormented the batters during the practice match. “15 seconds of pure Miyan Magic,” GT shared on their official X handle.
After not getting retained by the RCB, Mohammed Siraj is set to play for Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2025. Star batter Shubman Gill will be leading the Gujarat-based franchise in the IPL 2025. Mohammed Siraj played for RCB for seven long years, taking 83 wickets at an average of 31.45 from a total of 87 games, including best figures of 4/21. He is RCB’s third-highest wicket-taker of all time, standing only behind Harshal Patel (99) and Yuzvendra Chahal (139).
During the 2023 season for RCB, Mohammed Siraj scalped 19 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 19.74 and an economy rate of 7.50, with best figures of 4/21. In last year’s IPL, star pacer Siraj notched up 15 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 33.07.
The last time Mohammed Siraj took part in a competitive cricket match transpired back in January against Vidarbha where he scalped four wickets across both innings in their Ranji Trophy match. He was not included in Team India which won the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.GT will begin their campaign with a home game against the Punjab Kings on March 25 (Tuesday) later this month.