Friday. Mohammed Siraj ( Mohammed Siraj) is practicing cricket at the police academy in Hyderabad. Just then he got a phone call. It was done by Team India ( Team India) management. The gist of the call was that Harshit Rana, who was supposed to play in the World Cup, was injured and had to replace him in the team. Siraj boarded the Mumbai flight within a few hours. If cut, he not only played in the first match that India played against the USA as part of the T20 World Cup the next night.. He played a key role in the team's victory with 3 wickets.

Mohammed Siraj playing in the T20 World Cup is something that no one expected. He was not in the T20 team for more than a year and a half. For a long time the selectors did not consider him for team selection. Siraj, who played 45 Tests and 50 ODIs for Team India and became one of the main bowlers, has a poor record in T20s. Before the World Cup, he played 16 T20Is and took only 14 wickets at an average of 32.28. Although he did not take many wickets in T20s, he got the impression that he runs freely. As a result, the selectors did not select him in the T20 team after the tour to Sri Lanka in July 2024. Apart from Bumrah ( Jasprit Bumrah), Arshadeep, Harshit Rana and Prasad Krishna are getting priority. But after poor performance in the last series played by Prasam, he was sidelined. 

Unexpectedly in the final team..

However, Harshit Rana was injured a day before the start of the tournament and unexpectedly Siraj got a chance. But... everyone thought that Siraj, who was chosen as a substitute bowler, would have a difficult time in the final team. But as the main pacer Bumrah was unavailable for the first match due to fever, Siraj unexpectedly got a place in the final team. Taking full advantage of this opportunity, Siraj exploded with 3 crucial wickets. A target of 162 runs is not a big challenge in T20s.

If America's top order stands, it is possible to break through. But Siraj took the dangerous Andres Gass to the pavilion in his first over. Then he dismissed the Telugu boy Saiteja. Shubham, who is playing hard in the middle order, also checked Ramzane and played a vital role in USA's defeat. A player who has not been seen in the shadow of the T20 team for a year and a half.. It must be said that he is playing in the T20 World Cup and showing his potential. It is understandable how sensitive fast bowlers have become these days and how they are plagued with fitness issues. That is why they are playing matches very selectively. But Siraj is not like that. He rarely gets injured and rests. He played two Ranji matches for Hyderabad before entering the T20 World Cup. Had the team qualified for the quarters, he would have played the match on Friday. Before the Ranji Trophy, he played in the domestic ODI tournament Vijay Hazare Trophy and earlier in the T20 tournament Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Being the key bowler of Team India in Tests and ODIs, only Siraj is playing domestic cricket in these three formats. As soon as the Ranji match was over, Siraj was practicing in Hyderabad without resting. That is his commitment. - Eenadu Sports Section rel="noopener">Facebook, Twitter, Instagram& Google News. Tags :Published : 08 Feb 2026 15:18 IST