I Thought IPL 2019 Was End Of My IPL Career: Mohammed Siraj

Indian pace bowler Mohammed Siraj said that he had assumed his IPL career was over after the disappointing season in 2019.

Siraj had played nine games for RCB in 2019 and picked seven wickets at an economy rate of 9.55.

Mohammed Siraj’s revenge against KKR in IPL

In a game against KKR, Siraj’s bowling was taken to the cleaners by KKR batters Chris Lynn and Andre Russell.

Siraj couldn’t complete his full quota of overs as he bowled two beamers in his 2.2 overs spell and wasn’t allowed to bowl further. He yielded 36 runs from 14 deliveries.

Siraj made a stellar come back in the next season against the same opposition, he bowled a stupendous spell of 4-2-8-3 as KKR could just manage to put 84/8 throughout their innings.

I thought IPL 2019 was the end of my IPL career: Mohammed Siraj

Siraj admitted how he lost his self-confidence after enduring poor performance in the 2019 season. Siraj also talked about the impact of the trollers taking a toll on his head but advice from former Indian skipper MS Dhoni helped him to deal with the situation.

“2019 the performance with RCB was so bad that I thought that was the end of my IPL career. But then I realized that I still have age on my side. So I decided to trust myself a bit and thankfully the RCB management also backed me.

“I almost thought any franchise in their position would have let go of a bowler after that kind of performance, but they backed me, and then 2020 the game against KKR was a life-changing game for me,” Siraj said on the ‘RCB Podcast’.

“When I bowled those two beamers against KKR, people said ‘quit cricket and go back and drive autos with your father’. There were so many such comments. And people don’t see the struggle behind all this.

“But I remember when I first got selected how MS Dhoni told me to not listen to everything the people have to say about me.

“‘You do well today and they’ll praise you and when you don’t the same people will abuse you. So don’t ever take it seriously.’ And yes, the same people who trolled me incessantly back then say ‘you’re the best bowler bhai’. So, I know. I don’t want anybody’s opinion. I’m the same Siraj I was back then,” he added.

Siraj was retained by RCB in IPL 2022 retention window along with star batter Virat Kohli and Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell.

Also Read: I’ve Been Approached A Few Times – Virat Kohli Reveals That Franchises Have Asked Him To Enter IPL Auction Previously