Ian Bishop, a former West Indies cricketer, recently shared his thoughts on the current state of India’s fast bowlers, especially putting the spotlight on Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj. According to Bishop, ever since Shami took five wickets in the Champions Trophy against Bangladesh, he hasn’t quite been in top form. It seems like Siraj, judging by how he’s performing right now, is outshining Shami. This comes after Siraj had a standout performance against Shami’s own team, Sunrisers Hyderabad, where his bowling was crucial in securing a win.
Shami’s stats show that he’s taken five wickets in his first five matches for Sunrisers, but his economy rate stands at 9.29, which is on the higher side. In contrast, Siraj is one of the top bowlers in the IPL 2025 season, sitting third in the wicket-taker list with a total of nine wickets in just four matches. Bishop believes that based on how the two bowlers are performing, Siraj has moved up ahead of Shami in the race for being the main pace bowler for the Indian team, and age might also play a role here as Shami is nearing 35.
Bishop mentioned how things have changed for Shami since that notable five-wicket haul, saying, “I don’t think we have seen that Shami again since then.” He went on to reference Siraj’s past performances, noting that he had impressive bowling in the powerplay for RCB a couple of seasons ago, even though his numbers dipped last year. But now, Bishop feels Siraj looks sharper and more confident. He pointed out how Siraj is mastering his length and seam movement, suggesting that if he keeps performing this way, he might prove to be a more valuable asset across different phases of the game.
Siraj’s performance recently earned him the Player of the Match title, where he delivered an impressive spell of 4 for 17, helping his team restrict Hyderabad to a low total of 152 for 8 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. The Gujarat team showcased strong leadership from captain Shubman Gill, who scored a nice fifty, steering the team to a comfortable victory by seven wickets.
During the match, Siraj set the tone early by taking out both openers—Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma. Even though Head had a bit of luck early on when a delivery from Siraj narrowly missed the stumps and went for a boundary, it was Siraj who had the last word. He got Head out when the Australian tried to flick a ball, resulting in a brilliant catch from Sai Sudharsan, who dove to grab it at mid-wicket. Following this win, Gujarat will be facing the Rajasthan Royals at home on April 9, and cricket fans are eager to see if Siraj continues his impressive run of form.
