Virender Sehwag, the former Indian cricket star, has sung praises for Mohammed Siraj, highlighting how Siraj could have easily snagged a few more wickets had he bowled four consecutive overs. Sehwag is clearly impressed with the ‘fire’ inside Siraj, especially after he didn’t get picked for the Champions Trophy and was released from the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
In a recent chat on Cricbuzz, Sehwag pointed out how Siraj had everything working for him in the game against Bengaluru—he was fast, accurate, and had the right mindset. Siraj’s determination really stood out to Sehwag, who noted that the young bowler seemed to have an edge, likely driven by wanting to prove himself after being left out of the national team.
“He kept up his great record with the new ball at Chinnaswamy. In those first three overs, he only gave away 12 or 13 runs. Honestly, he could’ve bowled a fourth over right then; he might have taken yet another wicket,” Sehwag said. He believes Siraj is showing that extra motivation, perhaps because he feels disappointed not to have made the Champions Trophy squad.
In his first match back at M Chinnaswamy after not being retained by RCB, Siraj made sure to remind everyone of his talents. Even after a tough start, where Virat Kohli hit him for a four in his first over, Siraj came roaring back. He quickly dismissed Devdutt Padikkal for just four runs and followed that up by knocking out Phil Salt with a fantastic delivery that shattered the off stump.
After the match, Siraj reflected on his time away from international play, saying it gave him a chance to seriously think about his past mistakes and work on improving both his bowling and fitness. He specifically mentioned how his earlier Test tour in Australia hadn’t gone well, which was a factor in him being left out of the Champions Trophy.
“I was in the game so much that I didn’t fully see the errors I was making. It was during my break that I really focused on my bowling and fitness,” Siraj shared during the post-match presentation. He also reached out to former Indian pacer Ashish Nehra for tips after joining the Gujarat team, showing his commitment to getting better and making his mark in cricket once again.
