In recent years, Hyderabad fast bowler Mohammed Siraj has seen a meteoric rise in international cricket. Siraj was in and out of the India team since making his T20I debut in 2017 before getting a regular run of games, particularly in Tests, over the last few months.
In the Indian Premier League (IPL), the 27-year-old pacer is now a valuable asset for both Team India and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Apart from the IPL, his performances in the Test series in Australia, where he made his debut and against England in their own backyard brought him much-needed limelight and showcased his skills properly.
Siraj has done enough for BCCI selectors to decide on going with young blood in the traditional format of the game.
RCB had retained Siraj ahead of the new IPL 2022 auction along with Glenn Maxwell and Virat Kohli.
Siraj, in a recent discussion on The RCB Podcast, recently recalled his humble beginnings and revealed a story from his younger days about convincing his family to let him pursue cricket.
"My mom and dad were arguing about me at home - about whether I should study or do a job. My mother's brother had a club team. My mom told him that I am very fond of cricket and that I don't study or do anything else and only like to play," Siraj reminisced.
"So my uncle said, 'I have a club; come and play for it. We will see how it goes.' I agreed to come. In the first match I played, I picked nine wickets. My uncle was shocked. 'You play so well,' he told me. Then he told my parents, 'Don't make him study. Let him do what he wants to. I will back him.' It was then that I got five hundred rupees. I gave Rs 300 to my family and kept the remaining Rs 200 with myself," Siraj said.
Here is the Mohammed Siraj episode of RCB podcast:
