Mohammed Siraj Biography: The Auto-Rickshaw Driver’s Son Who Became India’s Spearhead

Every fast bowler’s story has a starting point, but few in Indian cricket are quite as unlikely as Mohammed Siraj’s. He didn’t grow up in an academy, didn’t pick up a cricket ball until his teenage years, and had none of the head starts that usually shape international pacers. What he did have was raw pace, an unshakeable work ethic, and a family that backed him even when there wasn’t much money to spare. Nearly a decade after his India debut, Siraj is one of the most feared new-ball bowlers in world cricket — and his journey there is worth telling properly.

Early Life: From Hyderabad’s Streets to First-Class Cricket

Mohammed Siraj was born on March 13, 1994, in Secunderabad, in what was then Andhra Pradesh and is now Telangana. His father, Mohammed Ghaus, drove an auto-rickshaw to support the family, and his mother, Shabana Begum, ran the household. Money was never easy to come by, and cricket wasn’t even part of the plan early on — Siraj has spoken about not bowling with a proper cricket ball until he was well into his teens, a detail that makes his rise all the more remarkable given how young most fast bowlers usually start.

His elder brother, Mohammed Ismail, an engineer by profession, is often credited as the one who pushed Siraj toward pursuing the sport seriously rather than treating it as a hobby. That push paid off quickly. Siraj made his first-class debut for Hyderabad in the 2015-16 Ranji Trophy, and it took him almost no time to make an impression — by the very next season, he’d finished as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, picking up over 40 wickets for his state side. A strong showing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy followed soon after, and by then, franchise scouts were paying close attention.

IPL Breakthrough and the Move to RCB

Siraj’s IPL journey began with Sunrisers Hyderabad, who signed him for INR 2.6 crore ahead of the 2017 season — a considerable price tag for a bowler with barely any first-class experience at the time. He repaid that faith immediately, picking up wickets in his debut season and catching the eye of national selectors within months.

He moved to Royal Challengers Bangalore for the 2018 season and ended up spending the next seven years there, growing into the franchise’s most trusted powerplay bowler. His best IPL season with RCB came in 2023, when he took 19 wickets in 14 matches, cementing his reputation as one of the format’s most dangerous new-ball operators. He was released ahead of the 2025 mega-auction, where Gujarat Titans signed him for INR 12.25 crore — a deal that brought a strange twist a season later, when Siraj produced a career-best 4/17 against his old franchise, RCB, at what used to be his home ground.

International Debut and the Rise to India’s New-Ball Spearhead

Siraj’s rapid rise from domestic cricket to the international stage is one of the quicker turnarounds Indian cricket has seen in recent years. He made his T20I debut against New Zealand in Rajkot in November 2017, followed that up with his ODI debut against Australia in January 2019, and completed the set with his Test debut against Australia in Melbourne during the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

That Australia tour is where Siraj’s story took on a different weight altogether. In the middle of the series, his father passed away suddenly back home in Hyderabad. Siraj made the difficult decision to stay on tour rather than fly back, choosing to fulfil his responsibility to the team. He went on to play a central role in India’s historic series win, finishing as the side’s leading wicket-taker in that Border-Gavaskar Trophy — and famously dedicated an outstanding spell at the Gabba to his late father. It remains one of the most talked-about personal stories in modern Indian cricket, not because Siraj has ever tried to make it about himself, but because of how openly it shaped the way fans came to see him.

Career Stats: A Quick Look Across Formats

Siraj has built a genuinely impressive record across all three international formats, with his numbers continuing to grow as he remains one of India’s first-choice pacers heading into 2026.

• Tests: Around 46 matches and 140 wickets at an average in the high 20s, with a best of 6/15.
• ODIs: Roughly 50 matches and 76 wickets, including a career-best 6/21 in the 2023 Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka.
• T20Is: Around 17 matches for India, having become a regular fixture in India’s white-ball setups by the mid-2020s.
• IPL: Well over 125 matches and 125+ wickets across his time with Sunrisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and now Gujarat Titans.

Exact figures shift after every series and IPL season, so for the most current tallies, it’s worth checking ESPNcricinfo’s Statsguru directly rather than relying on any single snapshot.

Major Records and Milestones

Beyond the raw numbers, Siraj has quietly built a genuinely impressive collection of records and milestones over the years:

• Became the world’s No. 1 ranked ODI bowler in January 2023.
• Holds the best ODI figures by an Indian bowler in an Asia Cup final — 6/21 against Sri Lanka in 2023.
• Became the first bowler to take four wickets in a single over in ODI cricket.
• His six-wicket haul is jointly the fastest in ODI history, matching a long-standing record held by Sri Lanka’s Chaminda Vaas.
• Finished as the leading wicket-taker in the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England.
• One of only two Indian bowlers, alongside Jasprit Bumrah, to have taken a five-wicket Test haul in England, Australia, South Africa and the West Indies.
• Was the first IPL bowler to bowl consecutive maiden overs in a single match, back in 2020.
• Part of India’s title-winning squads at both the 2024 and 2026 ICC T20 World Cups.

Bowling Style and What Makes Him Different

What sets Siraj apart isn’t just raw pace, though he’s never lacked that. His run-up has a deceptive, almost left-arm-bowler quality to it, which often catches batters off guard in the first few overs of an innings. Over the years, he’s added layer after layer to his skill set — inswing, outswing, cutters, a well-disguised slower ball, and the wobble-seam delivery that’s become such a common weapon among modern seamers. That range is a big part of why he’s remained effective across formats that demand very different things from a fast bowler, from disciplined new-ball spells in Tests to the tighter, more calculated death-overs bowling that white-ball cricket requires.

Awards and Recognition

• Player of the Match honours in Test matches, including a standout performance during the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England.
• Best Fielder recognition from Yuvraj Singh for a crucial catch during India’s 2024 T20 World Cup campaign.
• A regular feature in India’s white-ball and red-ball squads across multiple ICC tournament wins.

Personal Life

Siraj remains fairly private away from cricket. He’s spoken candidly in interviews about his upbringing and about how his father’s death shaped his outlook on the game, but he tends to let his bowling do most of the talking otherwise. As of the most recent updates, he continues to be based out of Hyderabad, the city that shaped his entire journey into the sport.

Where His Career Stands Today

Heading into 2026, Siraj remains firmly in India’s plans across formats — still opening the bowling in Tests, still a trusted option in ODIs, and now representing Gujarat Titans in the IPL after his long stint at RCB. With close to 200 international wickets to his name and two T20 World Cup winner’s medals in his cabinet, his story has moved a long way from those early days learning to bowl on Hyderabad’s streets — but by most accounts, he’s shown no signs of easing up.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

When and where was Mohammed Siraj born?

He was born on March 13, 1994, in Secunderabad, in present-day Telangana, India.

What is Mohammed Siraj’s background before cricket?

His father worked as an auto-rickshaw driver in Hyderabad. Siraj didn’t start bowling with a proper cricket ball until his teenage years, making his rise to international cricket especially rapid.

When did Mohammed Siraj make his India debut?

He debuted in T20Is against New Zealand in November 2017, in ODIs against Australia in January 2019, and in Tests against Australia in December 2020.

What is Mohammed Siraj’s best bowling figures?

His Test best is 6/15, and in ODIs he holds a career-best 6/21, achieved in the 2023 Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka.

Which IPL teams has Mohammed Siraj played for?

He started with Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2017, spent seven seasons with Royal Challengers Bangalore, and moved to Gujarat Titans from the 2025 season onward.

What ICC titles has Mohammed Siraj won with India?

He was part of India’s title-winning squads at the 2024 and 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cups.