Mohammed Siraj has taken on a new leadership responsibility, being named captain of Hyderabad for the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season, replacing Tilak Varma at the helm.
The appointment
The Hyderabad Cricket Association confirmed the decision on 11 September, with fellow pacer Chama Milind named vice-captain and former India batter Wasim Jaffer brought in as team mentor. Hyderabad have been placed in Elite Group B for the coming season, alongside Saurashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Assam and Tripura, with their campaign opening against Tripura on 11 October.
Why the timing matters
The captaincy comes after a testing few months for Siraj on the field. During a recent Sri Lanka tour, his pace dropped into the late 120kph range, well below his customary mid-140kph, and he managed just four wickets across 44 overs in a two-match series. Siraj was candid about the reasons afterwards: “Coming off a two-month break straight into a match, my rhythm wasn’t quite there. I’m purely a rhythm bowler.”
Signs of recovery
There was better news at the Duleep Trophy final in Chennai, where Siraj played for South Zone under Tilak Varma’s captaincy and reported that his pace and rhythm had returned. “Out here, everything clicked into place, and the pace followed naturally,” he said, adding that the demanding travel schedule – coming straight from fielding through a Test in Colombo – had made the turnaround feel even more significant.
Hyderabad finished fourth in their group last season, recording just one win from seven matches, so the appointment also comes with a clear brief to lift the team’s fortunes. For Siraj personally, leading his home state side offers a fresh challenge just as he looks to rebuild bowling rhythm ahead of a season that will likely include a return to India colours in white-ball cricket.
Balancing captaincy duties with his own bowling workload will be an early test of how well he can juggle leadership and personal form heading into the new season.