Team India star Mohammed Siraj opened up on his tough phase and the difficulties he faced during his early days. He revealed how he pushed himself to attend practice after his U23 selection despite being hospitalised with dengue.
The India pacer recalled that he would have been removed from the team and had to make a tough choice despite bad health. He added how his father helped him get to practice from the hospital and about his determination to not let the opportunity slip at any cost.
“When my U-23 selection happened, I did not go to practice for two days. My name was in the team, but I had dengue. I was on glucose. I told them my health was not okay. But they told if I didn’t come to practice, they would remove me from the team. I was on an IV with zero energy. A day before, the doctor told me that we came at the right time, or I could have lost my life too. At 5:30 in the morning, I woke my dad up and told him what the situation was. I asked him to take me. He asked me if I was sure that I could play. I told him I would adjust, and my dad took me in his auto to practice. I went and bowled, batted, fielded, did everything. Later, when I went and gave the test, everything was normal,” he said. (via Sony Sports Network)
Having developed a reputation for tirelessly bowling long spells in Test cricket, the India pacer revealed that he developed the strength back in his early days, when he used to play several tennis ball tournaments on the go to make some money.
“I love long spells, and it has become a habit for my body. We used to get ₹50 to play matches, and I used to keep on bowling for that. Even today, if I go and play some league match, I will have the same energy and the same intensity.”
In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, Siraj is currently India’s lead pacer in their ongoing two-match Test series in Sri Lanka.
India pacer opens up on his passion for the game
In the same conversation, Mohammed Siraj also opened up on his passion for the game and how he would play tirelessly even when he had not made it big. The India pacer revealed playing several tennis ball matches on a daily basis and how it naturally built his strength.
“I used to play 4-5 tennis ball matches a day. Your arm rotation becomes a lot quicker by playing tennis ball. Then you can keep playing continuously. It does not matter whether you need so much protein or whatever. Just have water and a samosa, and you can keep playing the whole day,” he said.
He also revealed how his mother would push him to study and secure a job. However, it was his passion, hunger, and determination, combined with hard work, that led him to play for India at the highest level across formats.
“My mother would be behind me, telling me to study and do something and become a big man and later not say that we educated only the elder brother and not you. I used to say it’s okay, I’ll figure it out. And today I am here.”
So far, he has represented India in 48 Tests, 50 ODIs, and 17 T20Is since making his international debut in 2017.
Edited by Rishab Vm