I was quite down before that: Mohammed Siraj on how hard yards during the lockdown has ushered in terrific success in IPL 2023

The Royal Challengers Bangalore registered their third win of IPL 2023 as they drubbed the Punjab Kings in a thrilling encounter at the former’s home ground in Mohali. Faf du Plessis (84) and Virat Kohli (59) continued their rich vein of form in the first innings to help RCB put up 174 on the scorecard.

On the bowling front, if there was one man who stood out in phenomenal fashion by crippling the Punjab Kings in their chase, dealing a couple of early blows in the powerplay following which he would return to wrap things up in the death overs, it was none other than Mohammed Siraj (4/21).

Miyan extended his magic to another glorious chapter, with his four-wicket haul also earning him the Purple Cap that saw his tally go to 12 wickets from six matches. Against PBKS, Siraj picked up the crucial wickets of Atharva Taide, Liam Livingstone, Harpreet Brar and Nathan Ellis. Apart from the four wickets, he was also electric in the field, running out Harpreet Singh Bhatia with a pin-point throw from mid-off, piling further misery on the Kings. 

Awarded the Player of the Match for his outstanding display, Mohammed Siraj opened up at length in the post-match award ceremony. Talking on Taide’s wicket, Siraj said, “The first ball was a little short. Then, I tried to bowl a little fuller because I was getting in shape. If I pick wickets in the powerplay, the opposition is put under pressure.”

He also shed some light on how the lockdown transformed him, adding, “The lockdown was very important for me. I was quite down before that because I used to be expensive earlier. I focussed on my gym training, on my bowling and I wanted to do well.”

He would conclude by talking about his transition, stating, “Even in the ODIs, my rhythm was good, my confidence was high and I have brought that into this season of the IPL. I am a good fielder; I just make a few mistakes once in a while (smiles). I always try to keep improving on every aspect so that I can remain a part of the team.”