Picture Credit: Twitter
Mohammed Siraj is enjoying his stint with the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the sixteenth edition of the Indian Premier League. One of the best bowlers in Indian cricket, Siraj made his IPL debut in 2017, when Sunrisers Hyderabad bought him for a whopping INR 2.6 Crore. Despite not being that tall, Siraj’s ability to procure pace and bounce impressed the Coach of SunRisers Hyderabad, Tom Moody. He played six matches in his debut season and ended up with ten wickets. One of the most popular names in Indian cricket today, things didn't come in easy for the Hyderabad-born cricketer. He played his first IPL match against the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) and conceded 39 runs in the game. However, the player who was in tremendous pressure was advised to enjoy the game by the former cricketer Yuvraj Singh.
In the latest episode of the famous chat show, Breakfast with Champions, Siraj recalled an incident from his first match and told the show host, Gaurav Kapur that he was feeling extremely overwhelmed by the atmosphere at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium despite dismissing Sanju Samson and Sam Billings. He added that former cricketer Yuvraj Singh calmed him down and asked him to enjoy his debut match. He shared, “In my first match, I dismissed Sanju (Samson) and Sam Billings. However, I did give around 40-odd runs. I was playing for the first time in front of a packed ground, I cannot forget that even now. The nervousness and pressure that is often talked about, I felt it on that day,”
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He further added, “Yuvi (Yuvraj Singh) pa was there near the point, and he kept telling me ‘Don’t worry, it’s okay if they hit a four. It’s your first match, so enjoy.”
Notably, Siraj was later bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore during the IPL 2018 for INR 2.6 Crore. In the latest season of the Indian Premier League, the Bengaluru-based franchise acquired the services of Mohammed Siraj for INR 7 Crore. In the IPL 2023, he has taken 15 wickets from 11 matches so far in the tournament.
