Mohammed Siraj’s Powerplay Dominance in IPL 2025
Silencing the Opposition: Siraj’s Homecoming Masterclass
Returning to a familiar home turf, Mohammed Siraj showcased his bowling brilliance in IPL 2025 against a formidable Sunrisers Hyderabad lineup. Once cheered by Chinnaswamy’s loyal crowd, Siraj now turned the tables, dismissing SRH’s explosive openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma within his first three overs.
Tactical Brilliance in the Powerplay
Heading into the match, SRH relied heavily on Head and Abhishek, whose performances significantly influenced their victories. Siraj’s fiery spell, including 13 dot balls in just three overs, disrupted their rhythm early. He now boasts figures of 6/69 from 11 overs at an economy of 6.27 in the powerplay — the best across IPL 2025’s first 19 games.
His dot-ball percentage of 63.6% ranks second only to Josh Hazlewood. Every wicket has come from good length deliveries, a testament to his consistent precision and strategic approach.
Breaking Down the Wickets
In his first over, Siraj allowed one uncontrolled boundary before dismissing Head at mid-wicket. Abhishek followed soon after, struggling under pressure before lofting a catch to mid-on. Siraj finished with a career-best 4/17, including two late wickets through clever reverse swing.
Consistency Across Matches
Against Punjab Kings, Siraj had a quieter spell with 0/14 in two overs. However, against MI, he bounced back by dismantling the top order — clean bowling Rohit Sharma and dismissing Phil Salt and Devdutt Padikkal in a relentless display of seam control and variation.
Siraj’s Impact by Length (Overs 1-6)
- Full Length (6.06%): 0/4 (ER: 6)
- Good Length (65.15%): 6/45 (ER: 6.27)
- Short (28.78%): 0/20 (ER: 6.31)
His precision at a good length continues to trouble top-order batsmen, making him a game-changer during the crucial early overs.
Historical Context and Recent Form
RCB’s home game success in 2024 was largely fueled by Siraj’s early breakthroughs. With 4 wickets at an economy of 8 in wins versus 0/42 in losses, the contrast is evident. His performances echo Gujarat Titans’ earlier powerplay dominance led by Shami — a gap they struggled to fill in 2024.
From Asia Cup Heroics to IPL Star
Just under two years ago, Siraj tore through Sri Lanka’s batting in the Asia Cup final, grabbing 5 wickets in the first 10 overs. That same hunger and drive now fuels his IPL 2025 campaign, possibly in response to his Champions Trophy snub — and the results speak volumes.
