Mohammad Siraj

Mohammad Siraj is an Indian cricketer who currently plays for the Indian national team as well as the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He was born on March 13, 1994, in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. Siraj is a right-arm fast-medium bowler who made his debut for India in November 2017. He has since become a regular member of the Indian cricket team in both Tests and T20Is.

Early Career:

Siraj started his cricket journey in Hyderabad, playing for the city's Under-19 team in the 2013-14 season. In his first season, he took 41 wickets in just nine matches at an average of 18.92. This impressive performance earned him a spot in the Hyderabad senior team for the 2015-16 season. In his debut season, he took 41 wickets in nine matches and helped Hyderabad reach the quarter-finals of the Ranji Trophy.

IPL Career:

Siraj was first picked up by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2017 IPL season for his base price of INR 20 lakhs. However, he only played one match that season. The following year, he was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for INR 2.6 crore, and he finally got his chance to shine in the IPL. In his first game for RCB, Siraj returned figures of 2-26 against Kings XI Punjab, which helped his team to win the game.

Siraj's best performance in the IPL came in the 2020 season. In a match against Kolkata Knight Riders, Siraj took 3 wickets in 4 balls, including the wickets of Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Rana, and Andre Russell. He then followed it up with another excellent performance against Mumbai Indians, where he took 2-28 and helped his team to win the match. His performances in the 2020 IPL earned him a call-up to the Indian T20I squad for the tour of Australia.

Siraj's 2021 IPL campaign was also impressive, as he finished the season as the leading wicket-taker for RCB. He took 16 wickets in 9 matches at an average of 28.25 and an economy rate of 8.27. Siraj's performances in the IPL have not only helped him to establish himself as one of the best fast bowlers in the league but also helped him to cement his place in the Indian national team.

International Career:

Siraj made his international debut for India in a T20I against New Zealand in November 2017. He then made his ODI debut against Australia in January 2019. However, it was in the Test format where Siraj made his mark.

Siraj was initially named as a standby player for India's tour of Australia in 2020-21. However, injuries to other players led to his inclusion in the squad, and he made his Test debut in the second Test of the series. In his debut match, Siraj took five wickets and impressed with his pace and swing. He followed it up with another impressive performance in the third Test, where he took three wickets and helped India to win the match.

Siraj's most memorable moment in international cricket came during India's tour of Australia in 2020-21. In the fourth Test of the series, Siraj was subjected to racial abuse by a section of the crowd. However, he showed tremendous courage and reported the incident to the umpires. The incident was investigated, and the culprits were ejected from the stadium. Siraj's bravery in the face of such adversity earned him widespread praise and admiration from the.