Mohammed Siraj, who is touted as India’s next fast bowling superstar, proved his worth in the longest format of the game in his maiden series against Australia.
Siraj made his Test debut at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground and played an instrumental role in India’s 2-1 Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21 triumph Down Under.
The right-arm pacer claimed 13 wickets in the series at an average of 29.53, including a maiden five-wicket haul (5/73) to script the visitors’ three-wicket victory in the decider at the Gabba.
As Siraj left for England in the early hours of Thursday (June 3) for the WTC final, he credited skipper Virat Kohli for shaping his career.
“Virat Bhai is always there. When I couldn’t perform well in the IPL two years back, he showed faith in my ability. He retained me in RCB and I am grateful for this,” he told ABP Bengali.
Siraj also recalled his early cricketing days when he used to drive a Bajaj Platina bike.
“I still possess the decayed Bajaj Platina Bike. It was not in good condition when I used to ride it in my early cricketing days. It doesn’t have self-start or even a kick. I had to run with it a few steps to start the engine. It helped me to reach the ground on time. But the vehicle was very embarrassing for me,” the 27-year-old said.
“Whenever I played a match at Hyderabad, after practice or at the end of the match, I waited for my teammates to leave the stadium with their cars before I started my familiar struggle to start the bike. Now I have expensive cars. But I still hold that Platina Bike as this is a symbol of my struggle and it encourages me to bowl at my best,” he further remarked.
After the WTC final against New Zealand, Team India will also face England in five Tests from August 4 to September 14 and Sirah would be keen to carry his good show.
