Mohammed Siraj, an Indian fast bowler, has been selected to lead the Hyderabad Ranji Trophy squad for the balance of the 2025–2026 campaign. He returned to the ODI squad during the current series against New Zealand, which led to his appointment. The selectors have given Siraj the captaincy duty for the tournament’s last stage because Hyderabad is still in the running in Elite Group D.
At the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad will host their final two Ranji Trophy games against Mumbai on January 22 and Chhattisgarh on January 29. With 13 points, the squad is now ranked fourth in Group D, giving them a remote opportunity to advance to the quarterfinals.
Initially selected as the season’s captain, Tilak Varma was sidelined due to an abdominal ailment sustained while playing for India in the Twenty20 International match against New Zealand. Consequently, even though Siraj had no previous experience as a professional captain, the Hyderabad selectors looked to him. The appointment of batsman G Rahul Singh as vice-captain is noteworthy.
Siraj was reportedly given the leadership position because of his extensive background and accomplishments. With an eye towards selecting him as Hyderabad’s permanent Ranji Trophy captain for the upcoming campaign, the selectors saw this spell as a potential trial.
This season, Siraj will make his debut appearances in Ranji.
Siraj, on the other hand, finished as the top wicket-taker with 23 scalps in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy last year. Siraj led the attack successfully without Jasprit Bumrah. The 31-year-old has continued to be active in domestic cricket even though he hasn’t played in a Ranji Trophy match for Hyderabad this season. He played for Hyderabad in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he claimed three wickets in three games, and in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he claimed seven wickets in four games. During the competition, he famously took four wickets against Bengal.
After being benched for the South Africa tour, Siraj made his ODI comeback in the current series against New Zealand. He was wicketless in the second match at Rajkot, while he took two wickets in the first ODI in Vadodara. Subject to national obligations, Siraj will make his maiden Ranji outings this season in the games against Mumbai and Chhattisgarh.
The Hyderabad Team
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India
