Gujarat Titans pacer Mohammed Siraj sparked concern during the IPL 2026 clash against Rajasthan Royals on April 4 after suffering a painful on-field injury at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The incident occurred on the very first delivery of the fifth over, when Vaibhav Sooryavanshi struck a powerful shot off Ashok Sharma. Siraj, stationed in the deep, sprinted across and put in a desperate dive to prevent the boundary.
While he successfully stopped the ball, the effort came at a cost. Replays suggested that Siraj awkwardly rolled over the ball during the dive, seemingly injuring his groin. The Indian pacer was visibly uncomfortable and remained on the ground for a few moments, forcing a brief halt in play as medical staff rushed in to assess the situation. He was eventually escorted off the field for further attention, raising immediate concerns for the Gujarat Titans.
GT were already dealing with a setback before the match, as regular captain Shubman Gill missed the game due to a muscle spasm. Afghanistan star Rashid Khan stepped in as stand-in captain, with the Titans opting to bowl first after winning the toss.
WATCH – Jasprit Bumrah’s Bullseye Run-Out Sends Nitish Rana Packing
Rajasthan Royals made the most of the early conditions, with openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi providing a fluent start in the powerplay. The young Sooryavanshi continued his impressive form, playing with confidence and attacking intent. The duo added 70 runs for the opening wicket before Rashid Khan broke the stand, dismissing Sooryavanshi for a brisk 31 off 18 balls.
A worrying sight for Gujarat Titans!
Mohammed Siraj appears to have hurt himself while attempting a stop at the boundary.
I hope he is fine 🙏 pic.twitter.com/I758MsnRnx— Gurmeet (@CricGurmeet) April 4, 2026
Jaiswal, however, carried on and brought up a well-compiled half-century, anchoring the innings as Rajasthan looked set for a big total. With Dhruv Jurel joining him in the middle, the Royals maintained a strong scoring rate and appeared on course to cross the 200-run mark.
In a positive update for Gujarat, Siraj returned to the field later in the innings, easing fears of a serious injury. However, he looked slightly off rhythm, conceding 39 runs in his three overs without picking up a wicket.
WATCH – Rohit Sharma Admits To Bluffing Kuldeep Yadav To Force DRS
With Rajasthan building momentum and Gujarat missing their regular captain, the contest seemed to be tilting in the Royals’ favour. That said, with a power-packed batting lineup still to come, Gujarat Titans remained very much in the hunt heading into the second innings.
