Mohammad Siraj previously established himself as one of the key players in Indian fast bowling, someone who could be relied upon in important matches. In Jasprit Bumrah's absence, he demonstrated impressive play in the Oval Test against England last year. Across five matches in the series, Siraj consistently featured, impressing with his pace and physical condition. In the last test, he troubled the lower order of England, bowling at speeds exceeding 140 kilometers per hour.
However, the situation for Mohammad Siraj this year, in 2026, looks different. The 2027 Cricket World Cup is about a year away, but his role in the Indian team in ODI format has not been fully determined. India played 12 ODIs over the past year, but Siraj only featured in four of them. In these four games, he bowled just 35 overs and took 4 wickets.
During Mohammad Siraj's absence from the team, various options for fast bowling were tested, including Prasidh Krishna, Gurnaur Bhara, Prince Yadav, Harshit Rana, Akib Nabi, and Anshul Kamboj. Since Jasprit Bumrah was also absent from many series, Siraj had an opportunity to strengthen his position, but he did not receive regular opportunities to play cricket.
After playing for Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, Mohammad Siraj played in a Test match against Afghanistan in Mallempur, where he bowled 13 overs and took one wicket. Following this, he was absent from international cricket for about two months. During this period, he did not participate in white-ball matches against Afghanistan, England, and Zimbabwe.
The effects of the long break were evident during the Test series against Sri Lanka in August. Mohammad Siraj's pace was below usual. The bowler, who often bowls at speeds of 140–142 kilometers per hour, showed speeds in the range of 125–130 kilometers per hour several times. Siraj later explained this by saying that he is a bowler dependent on his rhythm, and after a long break, his running and game flow were disrupted.
Mohammad Siraj also noted that he had never taken a two-month break in his nearly ten-year career before. After this, his pace slightly improved in the Duleep Trophy final, and in the last ODI against West India, he reached a speed of 141.2 kilometers per hour.
Although Mohammad Siraj returned to the squad for the ODI series against West India, he was rested in Tiruvannampuram and Guwahati. He got a chance in the third match of the series in Mallempur, where he took one wicket, conceding 52 runs in eight overs. However, what was discussed more was not his statistics, but the fact that captain Shubman Gill did not use him in critical moments of the match. When West India was chasing a large target, he entrusted Anshul Kamboj and Naman Diru with the ball towards the end of the overs. In that match, West India reached the target of 352 runs with 10 balls remaining.
Mohammad Siraj's condition can be compared to Mohammad Shammi's condition. Shammi played in significantly fewer matches before the 2023 World Cup. After Hardik Pandya's injury, he was given a spot in the starting XI and performed excellently. Nevertheless, there is an important difference in Siraj's case. Shammi was able to maintain his pace and bowling sharpness despite the long absence. Siraj himself admitted that a long break affects his rhythm. Therefore, if the team management plans his participation in the 2027 World Cup, he needs to be provided with sufficient practical preparation before the tournament.
The question of Mohammad Siraj's effectiveness is also interesting, as his performance in the IPL was good. Over the IPL seasons of 2025 and 2026, he accumulated a total of 35 wickets. This indicates that he remains an effective white-ball bowler. Now, his role needs to be defined and prepared accordingly. India will be playing in South Africa and Zimbabwe conditions in the 2027 World Cup, where the role of fast bowlers will be extremely crucial.