Synopsis
Hyderabad's Mohammed Siraj, after being excluded from India's squad for the England series and Champions Trophy 2025, is focusing on domestic cricket. He gears up for the upcoming Ranji Trophy match against Vidarbha in Nagpur from January 30 to February 2, aiming to reclaim his position in the national team.Key Takeaways
- Mohammed Siraj was dropped from the Indian squad.
- He is preparing for the Ranji Trophy matches.
- Upcoming match against Vidarbha starts on January 30.
- Hyderabad is currently in sixth position in Group B.
- Siraj has confirmed his availability for the match.
Hyderabad, Jan 21 (NationPress) After being dropped from the Indian team for the upcoming white-ball series against England and the Champions Trophy 2025, pacer Mohammed Siraj is set to return to domestic cricket in hopes of reclaiming his position in the national squad. In preparation for this, Siraj has begun training for the upcoming Group B Ranji Trophy match where Hyderabad will face off against the former champions Vidarbha in Nagpur from January 30 to February 2.
He initiated his training with a session at the Gymkhana Grounds in Hyderabad on Tuesday.
India's captain Rohit Sharma mentioned that the 30-year-old right-arm pacer had lost his effectiveness with the older ball, leading to his exclusion from the squad after India's disappointing performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia.
“Mohammed Siraj is getting ready for the upcoming #RanjiTrophy match between Hyderabad and Vidarbha! He kicked off his preparation with an intense session at Gymkhana grounds TODAY!” the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) stated in a post on X on Tuesday.
The HCA also shared a video on X (formerly Twitter) showcasing Siraj bowling energetically against local batters in the nets.
Siraj will return to action in Hyderabad's next Ranji Trophy match after they take on Himachal Pradesh in Hyderabad from January 23 to 26.
Vidarbha currently leads the Group B points table with 28 points from five matches, while Himachal Pradesh is second with 21 points. Hyderabad is in sixth place with nine points from five matches, having secured one win, suffered two losses, and drawn twice.
Siraj has recently confirmed his participation in Hyderabad's match against Vidarbha. Jagan Mohan Rao, the President of the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), informed IANS that he was unaware of the reasons behind Siraj's absence for the game against Himachal Pradesh on January 23. Rao noted that there is a strong possibility of Siraj playing in the next Ranji Trophy match against table leaders Vidarbha, starting on January 30 in Nagpur.
Siraj was not selected in India’s squad for the three ODIs against England and the ICC Champions Trophy. From 2022 to 2024, Siraj has taken 71 wickets in ODIs at an average of just 22.97, making him the leading wicket-taker among Indian pacers during this timeframe.
