Team India new boy Mohammed Siraj on cloud nine

The 2016-17 Ranji season was the turning point in Siraj’s career as he emerged as the third-highest wicket-taker (41).
Hyderabad Cricketer Mohammed Siraj with father Md Ghouse and mother Shabana Begum at his residence in Hyderabad. | PTI
Hyderabad Cricketer Mohammed Siraj with father Md Ghouse and mother Shabana Begum at his residence in Hyderabad. | PTI

HYDERABAD: Every time an India cricket team is announced, fans look for new faces in the squad. This time it is Hyderabad fast bowler Mohammed Siraj who has made it into the national team for the T20I series against New Zealand. Shreyas Iyer, 22, is the other new face, although the batsman has been in the Test match squad to Australia. 

Siraj received the news of his inclusion as he was going about his training session on the eve of the Hyderabad-Karnataka Ranji Trophy match in Shimoga. "I was pleasantly surprised. I did not expect it at all," the 23-year-old pace bowler told New Indian Express. Asked what swung it for him, he said, "I think my performance in the IPL helped my case. And recently, I did well for India A too."

The right-arm quick made the headlines when Sunrisers Hyderabad bought his services for a windfall Rs 2.6 crore in the 2017 IPL season. An emotional Siraj had then said the first thing he would do was to buy a house for his family. "They have struggled a lot. Now, it is my turn to make them happy," he had exclaimed. His father, Ghouse Mohammed, used to drive an auto-rickshaw to make ends meet and his mother was a house maid.

But those days are long gone. The family has moved into a cosy house in Hyderabad. Siraj's elder brother, Mohammed Ismail, said the family has been on cloud nine ever since Siraj called to convey the news. "It feels like a festival. I knew the senior selection committee was going to meet in Mumbai today, but I did not think that he would make it. The joy is unexplainable. Ever since he got into IPL, our family's living conditions have changed. Our father has stopped driving the auto-rickshaw," Ismail said. 

The 2016-17 Ranji season was the turning point in Siraj’s career as he emerged as the third-highest wicket-taker (41). The performance helped him gain entry into the Rest of India, India A and SRH squads. "I feel that was the turning point in my career. The man-of-the-match award in IPL when I took four wickets was also one of the highlights," Siraj said. He scalped 10 wickets in six IPL matches and the speed gun regularly clocked him above the 140 kmph mark, something that was bound to put any player on the selectors' radar.

Sharing the dressing room with battle-hardened veterans like Ashish Nehra and Bhuvneshwar Kumar gave him much-needed impetus. "Bhuvi bhai gave me a lot of tips on what to do when a batsman has just hit you for a four or a six," Siraj said.

It has been quite a journey for Siraj who took up serious cricket only four years ago. His mother Sabhana Begum's scoldings for playing cricket all day have now been replaced by pride.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com