Not most the glamorous but Siraj for Gujarat Titans might be a new chapter in Hyderabadi’s T20 career resurrection

Playing for Real Madrid, Karim Benzema fulfilled his role in the side but was often overshadowed the glitz and glamour of Criano Ronaldo during the Galacticos era. Ironically, Mohammed Siraj — an ardent fan of Ronaldo who even celebrates wickets with the iconic “Siuu” — has similarly been eclipsed his fellow Indian fast bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, who is not only India’s finest but one of the greatest to ever grip the white ball.Yet, despite Bumrah’s unmatched skills in T20 cricket, Siraj brings his own unique attributes to the table — qualities that can’t simply be measured numbers. He has been on the fringes of the Indian setup recently, including for the Champions Trophy. Rohit Sharma and the selectors reportedly pointed to his struggles with the old ball as the reason for his omission.
“Siraj has been performing at a high level for seven to eight years. Players eventually experience fatigue — there are bound to be phases where form dips,” said Siraj’s childhood coach, Kudaravalli Srinivas, in an interview with The Indian Express.“He’s played continuously: Test series, Asia Cups, IPLs—no break, no rest for the mind. It’s more mental fatigue than physical. When that sets in, performances dip, and that’s when a break is needed. The team management should have given him a break. Removing him was a make.”

Our team in Miyan’s city – we’re ready, #TitansFAM! pic.twitter.com/56WF8wqJYj
— Gujarat Titans (@gujarat_titans) April 5, 2025
Beyond his skill set, one of Siraj’s standout qualities is his remarkable resance to injury, his ability to turn up, day in and day out. “How often do you see him injured?” Srinivas asked. “We worked on his biomechanics from a very young age: body alignment, pressure points, bowling arm, foot landing, non-bowling arm movement, just to avoid back pain. Many bowlers don’t understand how to use core strength. We taught him all that.”
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Being dropped from the Indian team wasn’t the only blow. Non-retention Royal Challengers Bengaluru also hit hard. While Siraj made his IPL debut with Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2017, it was under Virat Kohli at RCB where he truly found himself. His aggression translated into performances, not just for Bengaluru, but for India too.
Siraj with his Ronaldo-like iconic “Siuu” celebration. (Sportzpics for IPL)
“You saw how emotional he got when he saw Virat Kohli during the game against RCB. He’s a soft guy inside, an innocent guy who only knows how to bowl fast,” Srinivas said. “He doesn’t understand politics. Have you ever seen him make a controversial statement? He’s straightforward, ask him to bowl in a certain area, and he’s like a remote-controlled machine. Only recently has he started using his own mind in bowling.”
Bowling at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium isn’t the easiest job in world cricket, yet Siraj always showed up with gusto. Whether it was a good or bad day, his attitude never reflected his figures. But the IPL is cutthroat. Emotions aside, his performances dipped last season, and it’s fair to say that T20 hasn’t been his strongest format—until now.

The spell against RCB was vintage Siraj. While the franchise may still have a place in his heart, he showed no mercy, returning with figures of 3/19 and earning the Player of the Match. “I was here for 7 years, changed my jersey from red to blue, and was emotional, but once I got the ball, I was fine,” Siraj said after the game. “I had been playing consently, but during the break, I corrected my makes and worked on my fitness.”Story continues below this ad
Now with Gujarat Titans, Siraj appears rejuvenated. “He’s a fine bowler. I think it’s unfair to say things haven’t been going well for him. He’s performed outstandingly well when given the opportunity,” said Vikram Solanki, Director of Cricket at GT, on the eve of their match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. “Sometimes we expect too much from someone like Siraj, who’s already achieved so much. We judge quickly based on one or two performances, but he’s been exceptional since joining us.”
“He has a great relationship with Ashish (Nehra), and you’re seeing the results of their work together. Ashish has a rare ability to instill confidence in players. You’ve seen that with other players at GT as well. That’s exactly what’s happening with Siraj,” Solanki concluded.