Ever since its inception, Indian Premier League has written numerous fairy-tales of rags to riches. And this year it gave an opportunity to Mohammed Siraj to hit the jackpot after a brilliant first-class season that saw him get India A and Rest of India call-ups. Hailing from a lower-middle-class family, the right-arm pacer landed a whopping Rs 2.6 crore deal with the Sunrisers Hyderabad that has totally changed his life.
And instead of resting on his laurels, the 23-year old pacer from Hyderabad fully justified the immense faith shown to him by the franchise. He finished the tournament with 10 wickets to his name in the 6 matches including the Man-of-the-Match performance in the crunch clash against Gujarat Lions when his figure of 4 for 32 helped the defending champions to bowl the Lions out for 154 from 111 for 0.
Recalling his journey in the tournament and how it has changed his life, Siraj, in an interview with Telangana Today, said:
“It was a wonderful feeling to capture a wicket with my fifth delivery when I dismissed England opener, Sam Billings. My parents, who never dreamt of sitting in the VIP lounge, were thrilled. There was also a big roar in the stands. It was a dream come true. I had tears in my eyes.”
He further said that the real challenge for him starts now as he is looking to capitalise on the confidence that he got from the IPL.
“I can’t believe that I played in IPL. It is over now. But the real challenge lies now. I have to work hard to continue with this momentum. But my performance in IPL has really encouraged me to stay focused. I think we may shift to a bigger house. Of course, I have asked my father not to ride the auto. Both my parents deserve a lot of rest and enjoy my success,” he added.
Siraj also lauded his skipper David Warner and senior bowling partner Bhuvneshwar Kumar for their constant support. Recalling the game against the Lions, when he was hit for 22 runs in first two overs, Siraj said the faith shown in him by Warner and tips from fellow pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar helped him to bounce back strongly.
“He (David Warner) would always give good advice. He would not show any frustration. I liked the way he handled the team. He always had a smile on his face.I never expected to capture four wickets particularly after being hit for 22 runs in my first two overs. But thanks to my skipper (David) Warner and Bhuvi bhai (Bhuvaneshwar Kumar), I could keep my nerves. They told me to keep cool. It is where I learnt the intricacies of slower deliveries from Bhuvi bhai. It was one of the best things to happen to my career. I was successful and bagged four wickets,” said the SRH bowler.