Siraj was the pick of the bowlers for RCB against KKR with a figure of 3/8.
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) pacer Mohammed Siraj shared the valuable words of ex-India captain MS Dhoni which helps him. Siraj has often been criticized for failing with the ball.
Siraj was an easy target for social media critics, but his performance against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), where he picked 3/8, has put his potential on display. Despite the harsh criticism he used to get before this match, the pacer didn't let them get inside his head.
The 26-year-old, in an interview with RCB, recalled the words of Dhoni which helped him keep going irrespective of what people say about him.
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Dhoni had told Siraj not to pay attention to the opinion of people against him. "Mahi Bhai (MS Dhoni) always says to not take the opinion of others seriously. If you have one bad game they will tell you, you are not good enough. If you keep thinking about those you will go mad.
"Rather you think that the next match if you do well, the same set of people will start praising you and call you a good bowler," said Siraj.
The performance against KKR has given Siraj a lot of confidence. He was under pressure to deliver in IPL 2020 after a mediocre season last year. Skipper Virat Kohli showed faith and gave him the new ball against KKR, and the pacer utilized it to the fullest.