Mohammed Siraj Rewarded With Captaincy Ahead Of Upcoming Ranji Trophy 2026-27

India speedster Mohammed Siraj has been rewarded with the captaincy of Hyderabad for the upcoming 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season, with the Hyderabad Cricket Association confirming the India pacer as the team’s leader.

Hyderabad will begin their campaign on October 11 against Tripura. Fast bowler Chama Milind has been appointed vice-captain.

Hyderabad are in Elite Group B along with Saurashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Assam and Tripura.

Mohammed Siraj's last cricketing outing

Siraj was recently in action for South Zone in the Duleep Trophy, where he played under captain Tilak Varma. The tournament came at an important time for the pacer after his pace became a talking point during India’s tour of Sri Lanka.

Siraj, who is usually known for bowling in the mid-140kph range, saw his pace drop to the late 120s during the tour. He bowled 44 overs across the two-match series and finished with four wickets.

Speaking after the Duleep Trophy final in Chennai, Siraj explained that the lack of a proper break before the Sri Lanka series affected his rhythm.

“Coming off a two-month break straight into a match, my rhythm wasn’t quite there. I’m purely a rhythm bowler. If I’m not in sync, I simply can’t explode through the crease,” Siraj said.

He also admitted that his run-up was not as smooth as he would have liked during the Sri Lanka series.

“That was the struggle in Sri Lanka – my run-up felt disjointed. Some strides were too short, others were too long, and that broke my flow and cost me pace,” he added.

However, Siraj looked more comfortable towards the end of the Duleep Trophy final. The pacer believes the tournament has helped him get back into the right rhythm ahead of the challenges coming up.

“Out here, everything clicked into place, and the pace followed naturally. Yes, it was very tough. We came straight from Sri Lanka, where we spent three and a half days fielding in the second Test (at Colombo), and within a week, we were out here playing in Chennai’s sweltering heat,” he said.

For Siraj, though, the workload is part of representing India and there is little room for excuses.

“But for me, it comes down to passion. When you’re representing your country, you can’t make excuses. You have to give every ounce of effort for your team and nation,” he added.