Mohammed Siraj is a workhorse. The right-arm fast bowler just keeps on running in. Whether it is the first ball of a new season or the last day of a 5-match Test series. His fitness, desire to play, and never-die attitude are commendable. But due to his extraordinary capability, Siraj often gets overworked.
A reliable pacer across formats, the captain and selectors turn towards him in need. Jasprit Bumrah has to be rested, so Siraj needs to play all 5 Test matches in England. Harshit Rana is out of the T20 World Cup 2026 with an injury, so he comes into the team in an instant.
Non-stop cricket since February
What most forget is that he’s human as well. At some point, his body will give up. You don’t want that. His workload needs to be managed, just like Bumrah. But that just doesn’t happen. Off the back of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, where he played 17 matches for the Gujarat Titans (GT), Siraj is expected to play in the India vs Afghanistan one-off Test.
Mind you, he bowled on May 31 and by June 6, he’s expected to turn up for a 5-day game. That shouldn’t happen. Siraj has been playing non-stop in 2026. He played 3 ODIs against New Zealand, 3 Vijay Hazare Trophy matches and 2 Ranji Trophy games for Hyderabad in January.
From March 31 to May 31, Mohammed Siraj played 17 matches for the Gujarat Titans | Image Credit: AP Photo via AlamyAlthough he played just 1 match in the T20 World Cup, he travelled to every game with them. After a 2-week break, Siraj played 17 matches over 60 days for GT. That’s too much cricket. At 32, his body needs time. He may not say it, but the medical staff needs to ensure that he plays for India for the remainder of the decade.
Why risk injury?
That’s only possible if he gets the deserved rest. Yes, he isn’t picked for the India vs Afghanistan ODI series but is expected to travel to England. Right after that, there will be 2 Test matches in Sri Lanka. Then, a tour of New Zealand. He needs to be 100% for these red-ball games.
The India vs Afghanistan Test isn’t even part of the World Test Championship (WTC), and Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar and Nitish Kumar Reddy should be enough for the Afghans. Mullanpur is, anyway, expected to aid spinners more. There’s no reason to risk injury or overwork him after 4 gruelling months of cricket. There’s still time to release him, and even if he travels, they can always rest him. However, one doubts either of these will happen.
India squad for Afghanistan Test
Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vc), Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, Dhruv Jurel (wk)
Mohammed Siraj should be rested for IND vs AFG Test, after gruelling IPL 2026 with Gujarat Titans Inside Sport India.
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