BENGALURU: In a thrilling display of skill and determination, Mohammed Siraj made a glorious return to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday night. The venue, which had been his IPL ‘home’ for seven seasons with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), witnessed Siraj’s comeback in the colors of the Gujarat Titans after being released by RCB in the mega auction last year.
The snub from RCB, coupled with his exclusion from India’s white-ball team for the recent Champions Trophy, fueled Siraj’s desire to prove his mettle. His trademark ‘Siu’ celebration, inspired by his idol Cristiano Ronaldo, echoed around the stadium after dismissing Phil Salt, silencing the crowd as he ripped through RCB’s top order.
Siraj’s performance was a direct response to those who questioned his ability in the shorter formats. Previously criticized for an economy rate of 8.81 at this venue, Siraj’s figures of 3/19 against RCB showcased his reinvention and earned praise from RCB’s head coach, Andy Flower. ‘He bowled an outstanding spell with the new ball. His lines were really tight, his lengths were good, and he threatened the stumps a lot. So, good on him,’ Flower remarked.
Despite not playing for India in limited-overs cricket for over seven months, Siraj’s growth as a white-ball bowler was evident. After a shaky start to the IPL season with 0/54 against Punjab Kings, he bounced back with 2/34 against Mumbai Indians before his fiery spell against RCB.
On a pitch known for favoring batsmen, Siraj’s performance was exceptional. Apart from a boundary by Virat Kohli and a six by Phil Salt in the Powerplay, Siraj maintained tight control, with the only blemish being a wide in the 19th over.
Reflecting on his resurgence, Siraj credited his hard work during the break and the guidance from Ashish Nehra and Ishant Sharma at Gujarat Titans. ‘I had been playing consistently, but during the break, I corrected my mistakes and worked on my fitness. Once I was picked up by Gujarat Titans, I spoke to Ashish bhai. He told me to go enjoy my bowling, and Ishu bhai told me what line and length to bowl. My mindset is to have belief, and then the pitch does not matter,’ Siraj stated.