Why Mohammed Siraj is Not Rested

Why Mohammed Siraj is Not Rested Like Jasprit Bumrah? Explained

Sportsdunia Desk

Published - Sep 11, 2026, 10:14 AM

3 min

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Mohammed Siraj had a two-month break, but it did not exactly do him any favours. When he returned for the Sri Lanka Tests, the India pacer was noticeably short of his usual pace and rhythm.

He then turned up for the Duleep Trophy final, where the selectors wanted him to get some more red-ball cricket under his belt. It also brought back the obvious comparison with Jasprit Bumrah, the best bowler in India right now. Bumrah been handled much more carefully. Siraj, though, has a simple explanation for why he needs to keep bowling.

Why Mohammed Siraj is Not Rested Like Jasprit Bumrah?

Mohammed Siraj explained after the Duleep Trophy final that long breaks do not work well for him. He said he needs regular matches to find his rhythm and bowl at his best. He also explained the reason why Mohammed Siraj struggled with pace during the Tests in Sri Lanka.

“I’m purely a rhythm bowler. If I’m not in sync, I can’t explode through the crease. 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,” Siraj said according to Cricinfo.
“Every bowler’s body is different, but mine doesn’t handle long breaks well. A short break is fine, but in my ten-year career, I had never taken two full months off,” he added.

There were several questions on Mohammed Siraj workload after his pace went down in Sri Lanka. The fast bowler made it clear that spending time in the gym or bowling a few deliveries in the nets is not the same as bowling in a match. He felt that the two-month break took away some of his rhythm, something he could only get back by playing.

Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah’s situation is different because he has been recovering from a knee injury and has been working on his fitness at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence. India are understandably cautious about Jasprit Bumrah workload, especially with a busy season ahead.

Mohammed Siraj’s Recent Performance in Duleep Trophy

Siraj’s Duleep Trophy outing gave him a chance to rebuild that rhythm, although the numbers were mixed. Representing South Zone in the final at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, the 32-year-old bowled 41 overs across two innings and finished with 1/187.

Despite being one of the best Test bowlers going around, he conceded 140 runs in his first 25 overs before returning figures of 1/47. East Zone eventually drew the final but won the trophy after taking a 372-run first-innings lead.

Siraj’s only in the match wicket came when he dismissed Kounain Quraishi for 40 in East Zone’s first innings total of 708 runs. The match provided the long spells he said he needed to rediscover his timing. His Sri Lanka numbers had been modest too where he took four wickets across two Tests, with reports noting his pace frequently sat around the late-120s to early-130s kmph.