Not Jasprit Bumrah! India need more players like Mohammed Siraj: Kapil Dev drops bombshell

Legendary India National Cricket Team all-rounder and the World Cup-winning captain, Kapil Dev, has showered high praise on the premier pacer Mohammed Siraj.

Kapil Dev said that Mohammed Siraj is the "real hero" of the team and India need more players like him to extend their dominance in the cricket world.

Mohammed Siraj - the workhorse of Indian cricket

The Hyderabad pacer Mohammed Siraj, a.k.a Mjyan Bhai, is the workhorse of Indian cricket, and he keeps bowling for the team without getting tired.

SHORTS

View More

Your daily dose of cricket!

Loading...

He played all five matches of the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 against the England National Cricket Team, showcasing his sheer fitness levels.

Even on the 25th day of the series, Mohammed Siraj was breathing fire, and he hit the final nail in the coffin to help India draw the series 2-2.

He wasn't able to deliver a good performance in the Test series opener, but in the second Test, the pacer bowled his heart out and helped India win.

Then, in the third Test, he was decent, and in the fourth Test, Mohammed Siraj looked dull. However, he stepped up when the team needed him most in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah in fifth Test.

The right-arm pacer bagged sensational nine wickets and bowled exceptionally well at the Kennington Oval in London to guide India to a 6-run victory. Overall, he took 23 wickets in 9 innings at an average of 32.43 and finished as the leading wicket-taker in the series.

Siraj is a real hero - Kapil Dev

The legendary Kapil Dev is highly impressed with the performances of Siraj, and he said that the pacer led India's bowling attack very well.

"Siraj is a real hero. The good thing is that he did not try to do anything extraordinary. He simply kept the ball in the right areas, especially around off stump and success followed. Siraj was leading the bowling attack [in Jasprit Bumrah’s absence] and he did it courageously,” Kapil told mid-day on Friday.

Kapil Dev added that language is no longer a barrier when it comes to sport, as some Indian players like Mohammed Siraj can't speak English very well, but they let their performances do the talking.

“England needed 35 runs and India needed four wickets. This was the situation on the morning of Day Five and we plucked all four wickets. We may not speak better English, but our team has proved that speaking English is not necessary when it comes to winning a cricket match,” added Kapil Dev.

"Siraj was in high spirits and lifted the entire team on that last day. [No. 7 Jamie] Smith was a dangerous batter and when Siraj removed him, it brought the belief back into the Indian team,” added Kapil."

Also Read: Gautam Gambhir found 'Not Guilty' in ugly spat with Oval curator: “He’s got every right to…”

If we can bring in more players like Siraj, we will win many more matches - Kapil Dev

Kapil Dev further highlighted Mohammed Siraj's missed chance that gifted Harry Brook a lifeline on Day 4 of the Oval Test and said that the speedster didn't let it affect his game. He said:

“Siraj dropped a catch on Day Four, yet he bowled his best after that. That’s a rare and great quality. He never looked under pressure.”

The 1983 World Cup-winning captain, in the end, said that India desperately need more players like Siraj. He stated:

“Credit should be given to him for all nine wickets. The difference was just six runs, so I don’t believe in crediting one or two wickets. If we can bring in more players like Siraj, we will win many more matches.”