Ahead of the IPL 2025 season, India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj has admitted that it was emotional for him to leave Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) after playing with Virat Kohli for seven years, who supported him a lot.
Siraj was signed by Gujarat Titans (GT) for Rs 12.25 crore in the mega auction last November after being released by RCB. The right-arm quick made his IPL debut in 2017 for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and then moved to RCB in 2018 for Rs 2.20 crore.
Siraj went on to play seven seasons for RCB and rose in stature as a bowler under Kohli’s leadership. However, he was released by the franchise ahead of IPL 2025 grand auction, and they also didn’t exercise the Right to Match (RTM) card to retain him.
“I felt emotional after leaving RCB. Virat bhai has played a major role in my career. He backed and supported me a lot when I was in a tough situation in 2018-19, choosing to retain me. After that, my performance improved, and my career graph went up. GT will face RCB on April 2, and I am looking forward to it,” Siraj said in a pre-season press conference.
Siraj also shared his views on the Impact Player in the IPL. Under this rule, each team can name as many as four substitute players along with their playing XI at the toss. One of them can replace a member from the original XI during the match and the player will be called Impact Player.
While several players and coaches have expressed their reservations, Siraj is the latest to join the bandwagon.
“As a bowler, I feel the rule is unfair. Earlier, taking an early wicket or two used to shift the momentum in favor of the bowling side. Now, even after an early breakthrough, batters continue to hit fours and sixes. The wickets are flat, and the dew factor also comes into play, making it very difficult for bowlers,” he added.
The GT pacer was recently hogged the headlines after India skipper Rohit Sharma pointed out his reduced effectiveness with the old ball. Siraj was overlooked in India's Champions Trophy 2025 squad as well.
"I have taken the most wickets with the old ball in the past year among the world's ten fastest bowlers. My economy rate is also low. The numbers speak for themselves—I have performed well with both the new and old ball," the pacer remarked.
(With TOI Inputs)
