India pacer Mohammed Siraj attributes his ability to stay grounded in the face of success and celebrity to his modest upbringing. Being well aware of the path it took to emerge from a humble background, Siraj clarified that he detests arrogance.
He emphasized that he has not forgotten his background and that he still hangs out with the same group of friends from his childhood.
The fast bowler, who made his international debut in 2017, earned his maiden Test cap during the 2020 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. In just five years, Siraj has risen to become one of India’s premier fast bowlers. A mainstay across formats, he is also among the most coveted pacers in the IPL, landing a Rs 12.25 crore contract with the Gujarat Titans at the mega auction.
“Keeping in mind where I come from and where I have reached, I just don’t like attitude and arrogance. I make an effort to stay down-to-earth. I have the same set of friends that I used to have back in the day. I still hang around with them,” Siraj told The Indian Express.
“It’s not that now I have become an India player, so I would make new friends and move around in a Range Rover with them. I do have a Range Rover and I drive around, but I still go to places where I played tennis-ball cricket with my old friends as a child. I chill with them and stay the same as I always was. I don’t make them feel uncomfortable. I will have tea in the same cup as them. We fool around and laugh the way we used to when I wasn’t an international cricketer,” Siraj added.
“I tell them not to give me any special treatment and that we are equals, just like it used to be. These days, people do a lot of things once they become successful. My aim is to always remain grounded. I am also aware that there will be times I will do well, but success can also disappear. That means, again, I will work hard and again I will succeed,” Siraj said.
Siraj, who is the son of an auto driver, stated that he never had any aspirations of playing cricket. However, he claimed that receiving payment for his tennis-ball matches encouraged him to play more.
He gave former India bowling coach Bharat Arun credit for helping him make his debut in senior cricket. According to Siraj, Arun was the one who saw him as a net bowler in the IPL and helped him get a spot on the Hyderabad Ranji Trophy squad.
Siraj recalled one of his first encounters with MS Dhoni and claimed that the former captain’s advice enabled him to deal with criticism.
“I remember when I joined the India team, MS Dhoni had told me, ‘Kisi ki baaton mein nahin aana. Jab tu acha karega, toh poori duniya tumhare saath rahegi, aur jab kharaab karega, yehi duniya tujhe gaali degi.” (Don’t pay attention to what others say. When you are performing well, the entire world will be with you, and when you aren’t, they will abuse you).
“Yes, the trolling was bad. When you perform, the fans and the world will be with you and say, ‘There is no bowler like Siraj.’ In the next game, if you don’t perform, they will say, ‘Arre, what sort of bowler is this? Jaake apne baap ke saath auto chalao’ (go and ride the auto with your father) – what’s the point of this? You are a hero in one match and zero in another (smiles). People change that quickly? I decided that I don’t need outside opinion and validation. What my teammates and family think of me is important, people who matter. I don’t care what others think,” he said.
The fast bowler’s fledgling international career has been filled with highs and lows. After a difficult performance in Australia earlier this year, Siraj’s abilities were questioned, but he recovered to emerge as India’s top pacer in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England. Siraj filled in for Jasprit Bumrah in the fifth and final Test of the series, helping India achieve one of their most memorable wins at the Oval in London.
Against a visiting West Indies squad in Ahmedabad, Siraj maintained his excellent form in the opening Test of India’s home season, taking seven wickets as India won by an innings and 140 runs.
Siraj has also returned to the ODI fold after being left out of the Champions Trophy team. He is included in India’s 15-man squad for the ODI series in Australia that starts October 19.
