Before the 2016-17 season, Mohammed Siraj was relatively unknown. However, during that season, he made a significant impact by guiding Hyderabad to a quarter-final finish in the Ranji Trophy. Siraj emerged as the third leading wicket-taker in the tournament, securing 41 wickets from nine matches. In the context of Indian cricketing standards, he was considered a late bloomer, only entering serious cricket in 2015.

His outstanding performance in the Ranji Trophy brought him recognition and earned him a spot in the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise for the 10th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Despite not being tall, Siraj’s ability to generate pace and bounce caught the attention of Tom Moody, the Coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad. He played a pivotal role in helping the franchise reach the knockout stage of the competition. Siraj’s skills were highly sought after, and his initial base price of Rupees 20 lakhs INR skyrocketed to a final winning bid of Rupees 2.6 crores INR. Although he participated in only six matches, he managed to take 10 wickets, despite being a bit expensive.

In the following Ranji season (2017-18), Siraj missed out, only playing one game. However, he returned for the Vijay Hazare trophy, where he excelled with the ball for Hyderabad. Across seven games, he took an impressive 23 wickets, including three 5-wicket hauls. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament, the ‘Hyderabad Express’ continued his good form, taking 10 wickets from five games.