Nine wickets in an early Hyderabad club match announced him before most of the wider cricket world had even heard his name. Mohammed Siraj did not follow the polished academy route that shapes so many India careers. He arrived later, rougher around the edges, and with the kind of pace and competitive fire that demanded attention.
Born on March 13, 1994, in Secunderabad, in the region that is now Telangana, Siraj grew up in a modest household. His father, Mirza Mohammed Ghaus, worked as an auto-rickshaw driver; his mother, Shabana Begum, ran the home. Family background can easily become a cliché in sports writing, but in Siraj’s case it helps explain both the urgency in his rise and the connection many supporters feel to his story.
He was not a child prodigy in the conventional sense. Siraj first played seriously with a tennis ball and only moved into club cricket in his late teens. That late start remains one of the most unusual parts of the Mohammed Siraj biography. Where others had years of age-group structure behind them, he was learning quickly in open competition, relying on raw pace, stamina and instinct.
Hyderabad gave him the stage
Once he entered the Hyderabad system, progress came fast. Siraj made his first-class debut for Hyderabad in the 2015-16 Ranji Trophy season, and red-ball cricket immediately suited him. He could bowl long spells, hit the seam hard and keep asking questions of batters rather than simply holding an end.
His real domestic breakthrough came in the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy. That season, he finished as Hyderabad’s leading wicket-taker with 41 wickets in nine matches. It was the campaign that pushed him from local prospect to national conversation. Selectors and IPL scouts had a reason to look closer now: here was a quick who was not just expressive, but productive.
Representative cricket followed. He featured for India A, India B, Rest of India and India Green, steps that often serve as the final testing ground before full international selection. In 2022, he also played county cricket for Warwickshire, another useful fit for a bowler whose strengths travel well in longer formats.
The IPL years: raw pace, then control
Franchise cricket widened his audience. Sunrisers Hyderabad signed him for the 2017 IPL season, giving the local fast bowler a first major platform. He was still raw, still learning when to attack and when to hold back, but the pace was obvious.
The longer association came with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, then known as Royal Challengers Bangalore, who brought him in for the 2018 season. He stayed there through 2024, and those years mattered. At first he looked like a high-risk wicket hunter. Over time he became more complete: better with the new ball, sharper at reading batters, and more reliable under pressure.
One match from the 2020 season still stands apart. Against Kolkata Knight Riders, Siraj became the first bowler in IPL history to deliver two maiden overs in the same match. In a tournament built on boundary-hitting, that feat said plenty about his rhythm and control when everything clicks.
After his long RCB spell, Gujarat Titans signed him at the 2025 IPL auction. That move marked a new chapter rather than a reinvention. By then, he was no longer simply the quick with attitude from Hyderabad; he was an established India bowler with a clear method.
India call-up and the Australia turning point
Siraj made his T20I debut for India against New Zealand in 2017. His ODI debut came against Australia in 2019. The Test cap arrived later, on December 26, 2020, in Melbourne.
That timing mattered. He had already been seen in white-ball cricket and in the IPL, but Test cricket is where his international reputation deepened. On the 2020-21 tour of Australia, Siraj became one of the defining figures of India’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy win. He played three Tests and took 13 wickets, finishing as India’s leading wicket-taker in the series.
The numbers were strong, but the context made them heavier. During that tour, Siraj was also subjected to racist abuse from sections of the crowd in Sydney, an incident formally reported during the match. He kept bowling, kept competing, and ended the series with a maiden five-wicket haul at Brisbane, where India sealed one of their most memorable away wins.
That tour changed the shape of the Mohammed Siraj career. He was no longer a fringe option or a promising quick. He had shown he could handle long spells, pressure, scrutiny and hostile conditions.
Building a Test record
From there, Siraj became a regular part of India’s fast-bowling rotation in Test cricket. His best work has usually come when he can attack the stumps and the outside edge at pace, especially with a relatively new ball. He is not a classical swing specialist in the mould of some predecessors; his threat comes more from hard lengths, seam movement and relentless intent.
One of his sharpest spells came against South Africa in Cape Town in 2024, when he took 6 for 15 in an extraordinary burst. It was the best innings return of his Test career and a reminder of how dangerous he can be when conditions reward upright seam and accuracy.
ODI cricket and the Asia Cup final
If Test cricket established his toughness, ODI cricket showcased his ability to break games open. Siraj developed into a genuine strike option for India in the 50-over format, especially with the new ball.
In early 2023, he briefly rose to No. 1 in the ICC men’s ODI bowling rankings, a sign of how effective he had become. Then came the spell that still defines his one-day career.
In the Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka in Colombo, Siraj ripped through the top order with 6 for 21. The damage was done in a blur: six wickets in 16 balls, including four in a single over, making him the first Indian bowler to take four wickets in one over in ODI cricket. India won the title, and Siraj was named Player of the Match.
What followed after the game added a more personal note. He handed over his prize money to the groundstaff, a gesture that drew as much attention as the spell itself.
At the 2023 ODI World Cup, he was part of India’s run to the final and finished with 14 wickets in 11 matches. Those returns did not make him the headline act of the tournament, but they underlined his place as a regular in major events.
T20Is and the wider role
His T20I career has been lighter in volume than his work in Tests and ODIs, but he has still remained in India’s white-ball plans across phases. Siraj was part of India’s squad for the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup triumph, adding a global title to his record even though his strongest format case has generally been elsewhere.
That split is part of what makes him interesting. He first became widely known through T20 cricket, yet his most convincing body of work has often come in the longer formats, where his aggression has more room to breathe.
How Mohammed Siraj bowls
Siraj is a right-arm fast bowler and a right-handed lower-order batter. His craft is built on energy as much as mechanics. He attacks, searches for wickets and rarely looks content to drift through an over. Even when he is expensive, the intent is obvious.
At his best, he hits a hard length, gets the seam upright and brings both bowled and caught-behind into play. In ODIs, he can be especially dangerous with the new ball. In Tests, he thrives when he can keep pressing at the same area and let the pitch do a little work for him.
He also wears emotion openly. That edge has long been part of his on-field identity, and so have the nicknames that follow him, including “Miya Magic” and “Miyan.”
Life away from the field
Away from cricket, Siraj’s public image remains closely tied to his upbringing in Hyderabad. The son of an auto-rickshaw driver becoming an India fast bowler is not just a neat line; it is the central arc of his story.
He has spoken often about his family, and his father’s support is a recurring part of that narrative. Siraj’s father died in 2020 while he was on tour in Australia, and the decision to stay with the squad during quarantine restrictions became one of the most difficult moments of his career.
Financial details around athletes can be slippery, so they are best treated carefully. Reports from outlets including Zee News, WION and CricTracker have estimated Mohammed Siraj net worth figures in the region of ₹50 crore-plus, but such numbers are estimates rather than verified public accounts. He has also been linked in reports to endorsement work, including with MyCircle11.
A few lifestyle claims about property holdings and investments circulate online, but unless they are backed by direct, on-record confirmation, they should be treated as reports rather than settled fact.
In his home state, he has also received official recognition. The Telangana government appointed him as an honorary Deputy Superintendent of Police, a ceremonial role that reflected his standing in Hyderabad.
Temper, incidents and scrutiny
Siraj’s competitive streak has occasionally brought disciplinary attention. In late 2024, he was fined 20 percent of his match fee and given one demerit point under the ICC Code of Conduct for an aggressive send-off to Travis Head during a Test match.
The exchange continued in the media afterward, with Siraj saying Head had not been truthful about what was said on the field. That part belongs to the realm of competing public accounts. The formal, verified outcome was the ICC sanction.
It is a familiar balance with him. The same visible emotion that sharpens his bowling can also pull him toward the line.
FAQ
How old is Mohammed Siraj?
He was born on March 13, 1994.
What is Mohammed Siraj’s bowling style?
He bowls right-arm fast and bats right-handed.
Which IPL teams has Mohammed Siraj played for?
He has played for Sunrisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans.
Did Mohammed Siraj play a key role in the Asia Cup final?
Yes. He took 6 for 21 against Sri Lanka in the 2023 final and was Player of the Match.
Has Mohammed Siraj won a World Cup with India?
Yes. He was part of India’s squad for the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup win.
Where is Mohammed Siraj from?
He is from Secunderabad in Telangana, India.
