After missing out on the Indian squad for the Champions Trophy, Mohammed Siraj, who last played in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia, isn’t sweating it. He’s putting all his energy into the next Indian Premier League (IPL) season with the Gujarat Titans.
About not being picked for the Champions Trophy, which India ended up winning, Siraj said he’s not dwelling on things he can’t change. Instead, he wants to focus on how he plays.
Selection isn’t up to me. All I can do is bowl the cricket ball as best as I can. I don’t want to stress about it; I just want to play well, he told PTI.
“Yeah, as a player, you remember that there’s a tour of England and the Asia Cup coming up, but I’m not really thinking too hard about it. Right now, I’m focused on the IPL, playing well for Gujarat Titans, and helping them win another title, he added.
This break from international cricket has given Siraj time to get fitter, improve his bowling, and rest up before the next season.
“I’ve been playing for a while, and we don’t usually get much rest. Now that I’ve had some time off, I’ve been working on my fitness and bowling, he said.
“I’ve been practicing bowling with new and old balls, and I wanted to work on my slower balls and yorkers. I really concentrated on those things, so let’s see how it goes in this IPL, he added.
He’s excited to work with Ashish Nehra, the former Indian cricketer who’s now a coach. Nehra has a great reputation after working with the Titans, and Siraj is hoping their partnership will help him bowl even better.
“Ashu bhai has done so much for Indian cricket as a fast bowler; he was a real match winner. I want to learn from him to improve my bowling, he said.
It’s really important for me to add new skills to my bowling, like bowling at the stumps and hitting the right length, Siraj said.
GT kicks off their season at home against the Punjab Kings on March 25 (Tuesday).
