Mohammed Siraj Admits To ‘Emotional’ Battle Against Former Team RCB
Mohammed Siraj admitted to feeling emotional while facing his former team RCB but delivered a match-winning 3-wicket haul for Gujarat Titans.
Mohammed Siraj delivered a stellar performance at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, taking 3 wickets for just 19 runs against his former team, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), while representing Gujarat Titans (GT) in the 15th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. After his match-winning performance, Siraj also shared that he felt emotional while facing his former franchise.
The 31-year-old pacer, who was part of RCB from 2018 to 2024, marked his first appearance at the venue in Titans' blue jersey with a Player of the Match-winning effort. Siraj’s fiery spell in the powerplay saw him dismiss Devdutt Padikkal and Phil Salt and then also account for a dangerous-looking Liam Livingstone towards the end of RCB’s innings, registering figures of 3-19 in 4 overs.
Siraj reflected on the emotions of facing his former team, saying, “It was emotional because I played for seven years here (for RCB). There was some nervousness and some emotion, but the moment I got the ball in my hand, it was full-on (intensity). That I am here (ready for the contest through my celebration), and I am a Cristiano Ronaldo fan as well.”
New Season 🏏
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Siraj expressed confidence in his ability to perform well, regardless of the venue, which remains his key mindset.
“As a bowler, I want to always have belief - that is an important thing. If that is not there, you panic (when you get hit). I have a belief that I can do well, irrespective of wherever I am playing, and that is my mindset. I was playing matches consistently, so I was not realizing the mistakes I was making. In the break, I focused on my bowling, on my fitness.”
“When I joined GT, I spoke to Ashu bhai (Ashish Nehra), and the ball is coming out nicely now. He asked me to just enjoy myself and do whatever I wanted. I talk to them (Rabada, Ishant, and other bowling partners) and get feedback, which is really helpful,” he added.
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