Mohammed Siraj: How India's Workload Management Created Cricket's Busiest Fast Bowler
India has withdrawn Mohammed Siraj from T20I squads against Ireland and England under a 'workload management programme', a decision that initially appeared puzzling given his reduced white-ball role. Since January 2023, Siraj has bowled 1,231 overs across all formats — more than any other fast bowler in the world — with 90.9% availability in Tests compared to just 11.4% in T20Is. The move signals that India now views Siraj, like Jasprit Bumrah before him, as too valuable a Test asset to risk ahead of a demanding season of 17 ODIs and 10 Tests.
Mohammed Siraj's withdrawal from India's T20I squads to face Ireland and England under a workload management programme has drawn attention to a striking statistical reality: since January 2023, Siraj has bowled more overs than any fast bowler in world cricket, accumulating 1,231.3 overs across 131 matches, ahead of Mitchell Starc (1,123.3), Pat Cummins (1,036.2), and Bumrah (1,012). While Siraj has largely faded from India's white-ball plans — featuring in just 11.4% of T20Is and nine of 23 ODIs since the 2023 World Cup — he has been a near-constant presence in Tests, appearing in 30 of India's 33 Tests since 2023 (90.9% availability) compared to Bumrah's 66.7%. During the 2025 England tour alone, Siraj was the only Indian seamer to play all five Tests, bowling 185 overs and finishing as the team's leading wicket-taker. His annual overs have risen steadily, from 365.3 in 2023 to 387.5 in 2025, with his Test wickets standing at 93 at an average of 29.31 including seven five-wicket hauls. With a long international season ahead, India appears to have concluded that Siraj — quietly the workhorse behind Bumrah's carefully managed schedule — now warrants the same protective approach that has been applied to its premier fast bowler.
Data: Times of India
What's missing
The article does not specify whether Siraj has reported any physical complaints or injury concerns, or whether a medical assessment informed the workload management decision, as opposed to it being purely a precautionary scheduling call. Additionally, no comment from Siraj himself or the BCCI selectors is provided to confirm the rationale.
What different sources said
- Times of IndiaCenter
The Mohammed Siraj workload question: How India created cricket's busiest fast bowler
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