Mohammed Siraj vs Mohammad Shami - Comparing their stats after 97 IPL matches

Indian seamers Mohammed Siraj and Mohammad Shami are worth their weight in gold because of numerous factors. Their prowess, consistency, and experience allow franchises to build the rest of their pace bowling unit around them. This is why it was no surprise to see both of them triggering bidding wards in recent auctions, while also being among the main retentions ahead of mini auctions.

Although their IPL journeys did not run parallel for most of the years, there are plenty of similarities between the two bowlers. Shami brings traditional bowling to the table, trusting his ability to hit the right length as much as possible and pushing the batters into a corner, forcing them to make a mistake.

Siraj, on the other hand, is a modern bowler. Using the scrambled seam to good effect, along with the basic principles, he has found the formula to succeed, catalyzed by his fiery spirit.

On that note, let us look at Mohammed Siraj and Mohammad Shami's IPL numbers after 97 appearances.

Mohammed Siraj vs Mohammad Shami - Comparing their stats after 97 IPL matches

#1 Overall Numbers

Although Shami made his IPL debut four years before Siraj, he has only played 18 more matches. This is primarily because Shami was largely unused in his initial campaigns, and missed two seasons in 2015 and 2024.

Siraj marked his 97th appearance with his best-ever figures in the IPL. He finished with 4-17 in the Gujarat Titans' (GT) win over the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Sunday, April 6. Shami, on the other hand, reached 97 appearances in the competition (playing for the Gujarat Titans) during a 2023 IPL contest against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Mohali.

There is hardly anything to separate the two speedsters in terms of their overall numbers after 97 matches. If one wishes to be nit-picky, Shami holds a slight advantage, as he has taken four more wickets, at a marginally better average and strike rate.

It is to be noted that the majority of Shami's Purple Cap season (2023) is not covered in his first 97 appearances. His tally of 28 wickets drastically improved his record.

Player Name	Matches	Wickets	Average	Economy
Mohammed Siraj	97	102	28.8	8.61
Mohammad Shami	97	106	28.60	8.53

#2 Comparing their stats in powerplay

Both Siraj and Shami are largely new ball specialists, with their excellent abilities to maneuver the seam with different methods to yield the same level of efficiency.

Shami's new ball prowess was arguably a late bloomer in the IPL. He did not avail chances in the powerplay in his early years. In fact, he bowled more than 100 balls in the powerplay only once in his first five seasons. In comparison, he has bowled an average of 200 balls in the powerplay in his last four seasons.

His current brilliance in the powerplay is not potent enough to mask his poor record of the past. Given that he had only five wickets in the powerplay until the 2019 season, the high average of 44.38 is not a surprise.

Siraj, on the other hand, has been a tad expensive, given his tendency to stray from ideal lines and lengths with the new ball. But he has been quite effective in terms of delivering early breakthroughs. With 42 wickets in the fielding restrictions, he has a way better bowling average compared to his senior.

Player Name	Matches	Wickets	Average	Economy
Mohammed Siraj	97	42	32.50	8.12
Mohammed Shami	97	36	44.38	7.60

#3 Comparing their stats in death overs

Given that teams hardly have room to field two death specialist bowlers, their frontline bowlers have to chip in at the back end of the innings too. Bowling at the death is not their strength, but they have managed to create an impression, nonetheless, especially in terms of picking up wickets.

Both Siraj and Shami have exceptional averages in the death overs, as they tend to exploit batters' desperation for runs with wickets. Their economies are over 10 runs an over, which is slightly on the higher side. However, since they have compensated with wickets, one could argue that it is not an abysmal record.

Shami's death bowling record has gone under the radar, overshadowed by his new-ball brilliance. Almost half of Shami's wickets, up until his 97th match, came during the death overs. He is the seventh leading wicket-taker in the IPL when it comes to bowling in the back end of the innings.

Siraj also has a decent record in that phase of the game, making him more than suitable to be a support bowler, if not a death overs specialist.

Player Name	Matches	Wickets	Average	Economy
Mohammed Siraj	97	39	23.53	10.16
Mohammad Shami	97	52	17.50	10.81