Fast bowler Mohammed Siraj is targetting the upcoming edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) to reclaim his place in the senior Indian team.
Siraj, who made his international debut in November 2017, has represented India in 1 ODI and 3 T20Is thus far and his last appearance came in January 2019.
With the announcement that IPL 2020 will be played in UAE from September 19 to November 8, Siraj is over the moon and is looking forward to leave his mark at the cash-rich event for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
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“Honestly, there are not telephonic discussions or any online chats with any cricketers regarding my bowling. I have been making a critical review of my bowling in the nets now after each day having a look at the videos,” Siraj, who is currently training at a private ground in Shamshabad, told Sportstar in an exclusive chat on Sunday (July 26).
“I’m working a lot on my strengths - the yorkers and the back-of-a-length deliveries. I am putting in a lot of effort and it is never easy during such a long break to find the same kind of rhythm which you can afford when everything is normal,” he added.
Like all the sportsmen, the COVID-19 pandemic posed difficulties for Siraj.
“The biggest challenge for me was to be mentally fresh during the four-month long COVID-19 break. It has been really so frustrating that we cannot even go out confidently because of the virus threat. So, I was just keeping myself busy doing every small thing at home.
“Definitely, the fitness aspect is taken care of adequately as I purchased gym equipment to maintain the desired standards. I am also doing a lot of running in the mornings,” he remarked.
Speaking about his stint with RCB, Siraj acknowledged that it has been a huge learning curve.
“Well, it has been a privilege to play for RCB led by Virat bhai (Kohli). It has been such a huge learning curve. Definitely, feel that another good season with the team in this IPL should help my cause a long way. Essentially, my target is to be good in both formats - white and red-ball cricket. I still believe Test cricket is the best and most challenging. So, I am keen to be part of Indian Test team and want to back my claim with the desired performances,” the 26-year-old said.
“Definitely, not playing competitive cricket before the IPL is a different kind of challenge. But I hope to live up to the expectations as there will definitely be a preparatory camp before the event begins,” he concluded.
