He was the leading wicket-taker of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025.
The recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 was India’s first Test series following the retirements of two former captains, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. A relatively young team, led by the new captain, Shubman Gill, travelled to England for a five-Test series to begin India’s new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. While Gill fired on all cylinders, it was Mohammed Siraj whose inspiring spell on the final day of The Oval Test will be remembered for a long time.
Siraj emerged as the leading wicket-taker with 23 wickets in nine innings. His spells included two five-wicket hauls and a four-fer. He was the only pacer to play all five tests except for Chris Woakes. The English pacer had sustained a shoulder injury on Day 1 and didn’t bowl for the major part of the fifth test. The Indian pacer ended the series bowling 185.3 overs (1,113 balls), the most by any bowler in the series. The most notable aspect of Siraj’s game was his ‘never say die’ attitude and the aggression, which he has recently attributed to Kohli.
SLK
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GAW
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TKR
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ABF
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ADKRDM
167/6
MIEDM
0/1
DVDM
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SWDM
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MIEDM
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DCDM
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GGDM
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DVDM
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SDS
109/2
NDS
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Match abandoned due to rain
WDL
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ODW
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PD
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SDS
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EDR
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CDK
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UCCB
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LKLS
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ACB
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BAC
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UCCB
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LKLS
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ACB
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BAC
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BAC
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UCCB
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TSA
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UCCB
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CLJ
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BAC
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TSA
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UCCB
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CLJ
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KENT
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YOR
236/4
SOM
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NOR
238/10
LAN
201/6
MID
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BB
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SUSS
227/6
DER
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ESS
366/6
GLO
266/2
HAM
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GLAM
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LEI
274/10
WOR
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SURR
205/5
PNG
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KNY
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QAT
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DEN
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CAN
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NAM
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GER-W
108/4
ITA-W
109/2
Italy Women won by 8 wickets
IRE-W
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NED-W
72/3
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NED-W
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ITA-W
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IRE-W
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BAN
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IND
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Match Called off
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NK
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LLG
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NWW
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KZK
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KRMPS
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CEC-A
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KUMS
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TTS
189/5
KBTS
188/7
Thrissur Titans won by 5 wickets
ALRS
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CAGS
124/5
CAGS
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KBTS
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ATR
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TTS
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MGD
86/6
HBT
210/2
GBM
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BNB
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TBC
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TBC
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IAI
68/7
YSG
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MUT
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VLLY
231/3
SGR
139/7
Valley beat Sandgate Redcliffe by 93 runs
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54/3
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TRW-W
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BIP-W
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LUF
143/3
NOSK
139/9
Lucknow Falcons beat Noida Super Kings by 7 wickets
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KARS
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LUF
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MEMA
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GOLS
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NOSK
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Siraj made his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in 2017. But he made headlines during his stint at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) under Virat Kohli’s leadership. He received his maiden T20I and Test call-up under Kohli’s captaincy. He represented RCB for seven years before parting ways with the franchise after IPL 2024. With time, their partnership developed immensely, as witnessed during Kohli’s Test captaincy days. Siraj never hesitated to take on the opposition and indulge in banters.
The 31-year-old was involved in multiple on-field battles with England players in the latest series. It saw him being reprimanded by the ICC. The right-arm pacer was fined 15% of his match fee, and he was handed one demerit point. The penalty was followed by his aggressive celebration and physical contact with Ben Duckett on Day 4 of the Lord’s Test. This was his second offence in 24 months, taking his tally to two demerit points.
Speaking to RevSportz, Siraj said, “I’ve learnt this one particular thing from Virat Kohli, and that is his fighting approach in the game. Off the field, he would be talking very nicely, but on the field, the opposition is the enemy for him. I like this thing about him. And my bowling comes from aggression. If I do not show that on the ground, I won’t be able to bowl well. I have been with Virat Kohli in RCB [Royal Challengers Bengaluru] and have developed a good bond with him. Fast bowlers should have aggression on the field, and Virat Kohli has more aggression on the field than the bowlers.”
Apart from getting on the opponent players’ nerves, Siraj has understood how to use the crowd’s support to energise himself and the team.
“In that last Test at The Oval, when Brook and Root were having a good partnership, we had a bit of a shoulder-dropping moment. But then, I encouraged everyone, and we went ahead to get the upper hand in the form of the wicket of Root. I have also learnt to take crowd support from Virat. Support of the crowd, for a bowler, can make a big difference and get the bowler flying with confidence,” Siraj asserted.
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The Hyderabad seamer also opened up about his friendship with Test captain Gill, saying he calls the latter “bunny.” He further noted that their understanding and camaraderie have helped them in a good cause.
“Shubman and I have been together for a long time. We have played India A. We have spent time off the field as well. We made our Test debuts together at the MCG and also became ODI No.1 [ICC rankings] at the same time. We have a lot of memories together. He’s also the captain of the Gujarat Titans. I keep telling him that you’re my bunny. Our understanding is very easy, and it reflects in the field. He understands what I want, what I don’t, and vice versa,” Siraj disclosed.
Siraj joined the Gujarat Titans before the IPL 2025, while Gill has been with the franchise for four years. Before this, Gill and Siraj had made their debuts in the Boxing Day Test against Australia in Melbourne in 2020. Later, both played a crucial role in helping India win the famous Gabba Test. Gill played a crucial 91-run knock while Siraj took a five-wicket haul in the second innings. Since then, they have been a crucial part of India’s success across formats.
