Fast bowler Mohammed Siraj has become the latest Indian cricketer to join the ranks of Test regulars participating in the forthcoming Ranji Trophy matches. Although Siraj was not selected for India's ODI squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy, he is expected to miss Hyderabad's match against Himachal Pradesh on January 23 due to workload management. However, he is anticipated to play in the team's final group match against Vidarbha next week.

As reported by the Times of India, Siraj, who recently competed in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia, is likely to participate in Hyderabad's last group game. Currently, the team is positioned sixth in Group B, having secured only one victory in five matches, with two matches ending in a draw.

A representative from the Hyderabad Cricket Association stated to the national daily, "He has some workload concerns, so he will not be playing the first game. However, he is expected to be available for the last game against Vidarbha."

Why was Siraj not picked for the Champions Trophy squad?

Recently, the Hyderabad-born fast bowler held the position of the top-ranked ODI bowler in the ICC rankings. Since the beginning of 2023, he has taken 47 wickets in the 50-over format, with 14 of those wickets occurring during the 11 matches of the World Cup, maintaining an economy rate of 5.68. Furthermore, no Indian bowler has claimed more wickets than Siraj, who has taken 71 in ODIs since 2022, placing him third on the overall list.

However, Indian captain Rohit Sharma indicated that Siraj was excluded from the squad due to his effectiveness being primarily with the new ball. Consequently, India opted for Arshdeep Singh, considering uncertainties surrounding Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness.

“We aimed to assemble a squad that provided options for both new ball and death bowling,” Rohit stated. “With Bumrah's absence or uncertainty, we wanted Arshdeep to assume the role of bowling in the latter stages of the innings.

“Shami demonstrated his capabilities with the new ball during the World Cup, and we believe Siraj's effectiveness diminishes when he is not utilized in that capacity. With Arshdeep and Shami included in the squad, we had to select players who could effectively cover all three phases of bowling: the beginning, the middle, and the end.”

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