Mohammed Siraj Was Not A Guaranteed Starter In IPL 2020: Mike Hesson Reveals How The Bowler Forced His Selection In RCB

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) Director of Cricket Mike Hesson recalled how, pace bowler Mohammed Siraj, made his comeback in IPL 2020.

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

Andre Russell took Mohammed Siraj to cleaners

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.

Mohammed Siraj was not a guaranteed starter in IPL 2020: Mike Hesson

Siraj made a stellar comeback 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.

Hesson admitted that Siraj wasn’t in their plan for RCB’s playing XI in IPL 2020 but the player’s energy and focus in the training session pushed him in the team.

“You talk about that enthusiasm… it’s genuine. A lot of players can be really pumped up and enthusiastic when things are going your way. I always gauge a player when they are having a bit of struggle, and the energy that they bring to the group. And Siraj, when he was first here in 2020, he was not a guaranteed starter. In fact, he didn’t start,” Hesson told Hindustan Times.

“But the energy he brought to the group at every practice, at every open wicket, at every game that he wasn’t playing, he was always so much team focussed. And when he did get an opportunity, everyone else in the team could not wait for him to do well. When a player does well, the fact that everybody in the change room in genuinely excited for him. It means that he is a great team man and for me, that’s hugely valuable,” he added.

Siraj himself recently mentioned how former RCB skipper Virat Kohli’s support reinstated the confidence in himself and how it helped him to enhance his level of performance.

Also Read: Any Other Team Would Have Dropped Me But Virat Kohli Showed Support And Retained Me: Mohammed Siraj On His Worst IPL Season