Mohammed Siraj’s successful run in IPL is due to break he got from international cricket

Mohammed Siraj has made a successful return to top flight cricket in the IPL

It has been a very tough run for international cricketers in general as they have been moving from one high profile series to another in the recent few years. 

For the Indian cricketers, it has been the same or maybe even a little more intense given that every single series or competition that they take part in, they are under pressure to perform, be at the top of their game and keep turning out results on a consistent basis.

At a time when there is no room for any slips or losing their form, it becomes imperative for cricketers to look after themselves to the best of their abilities. Apart from common activities such as taking rest, nutrition, regular massages, ice baths and what not, they are also required to look after their mental health, which may not be always possible given that they are going from one match into another with a very minimal break.

Then there is also the element of travelling which takes a lot out of the players as they keep working over and over again on the same things like clockwork and it becomes mundane to the limit of boring. 

This is perhaps what had happened with Mohammed Siraj, who continued to shoulder the entire responsibility of Indian fast bowling attacks during a phase when other strike bowlers Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah were not available.

It must be remembered that Mohammed Shami spent nearly one year after the 2023 ODI World Cup in India nursing an ankle injury due to which he had to spend a lot of time away from the game. 

During this time period, India relied on the pair of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, but not many remember that it was the latter, who had been shouldering a chunk of responsibility even before that 50 over tournament in which India lost to Australia and the final.

Mohammed Siraj eventually lost his form and rhythm, which was evident during India’s tour of Australia for five Test matches late last year. 

He was going from one Test to another hoping that the form will come back and he will be bowling into his rhythm, but that did not happen and the situation forced the Indian captain Rohit Sharma to again and again keep using Jasprit Bumrah more than he should have. 

As a result, India not only lost Jasprit Bumrah for another three or four months due to another back injury, but also Mohammed Siraj, who was not looking good at all. 

A break was imperative for both these fast bowlers, which meant India had to dig deep into their bowling reserve, and the likes of Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana did a fair job with Mohammed Shami in the Champions Trophy which India won.

Mohammed Siraj has now made a successful comeback in the Indian Premier League for Gujarat Titans, playing for a new franchisee in the competition after spending a number of years with Royal Challengers, Bengaluru. 

Mohammed Siraj bowled a match-winning spell against his former side RCB and then Benton to take another four wickets against his home team, Sunrisers Hyderabad to emerge the premier bowler in the competition.

“To be honest, at the start, I couldn’t digest it,” Mohammed Siraj said, after taking four wickets against Sunrisers Hyderabad, when he was asked about his acting in the champions trophy.

“I reached a point when I had to convince my mind that my cricket is not over. That I have bigger plans. Okay, this (Champions Trophy) was not in my destiny, but what can I do now? I got my mindset right, I worked on my fitness.”

“I was playing non-stop, so I didn’t have time to reflect on what mistakes had crept into my game. So I worked on it. Now I am enjoying my bowling. The body is fresh, I am not overthinking, I am staying in the present,” he said. 

Like Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah is also said to make his comeback with the Mumbai Indians as he is expected to play against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Wankhede Stadium.

The story of these two fast bowlers is very simple yet very important that every single cricketer and sports person must be given adequate breaks to not just rest and recover and recuperate, but also take care of their other strengths which are very crucial for success.