Mohammed Siraj: The boy who went above and beyond what was expected of him. Siraj finished the Australian series with 13 wickets in three games.
Tolichowki, a neighborhood just 7.7 kilometers from Hyderabad Deccan Railway Station, is surrounded by historical mosques. A breeze of unconditional love blowing over tombs, streets full of eateries prepared with people’s affection. Children playing cricket in every nook and cranny, and Shahrukh Khan’s ‘Main Agar Kahoon’ from the film Om Shanti Om blasting on full volume in every tape recorder in the neighborhood.
There is anarchy in the neighborhood, where time runs at the speed of light and many work two jobs to feed their families. On the other hand, there are children who aspire to play for India, to score a century or two, or to hit a fifer at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Which is approximately 14 kilometers away and has 40,000 people singing their names at the top of their lungs.
In those hectic streets, a baby boy named Mohammed Siraj born in 1994 to Mohammed Ghaus. An autorickshaw driver, and Shabana Begum, a housewife.
Siraj means candle in Urdu, and little did he know that he would go on to become a candle that would light up billions of dreams across the country.
After a decade and a half, cricket became a way for a young Siraj to escape the harsh realities of life
The 16-year-old fell in love with throwing a small yellow round item over 22 yards while bowling in his slippers. He had no idea about the money or fame that cricket could provide. He was only there to have fun, sprinting about the streets and attempting to bowl fast.
Siraj’s first breakthrough came at the age of 16 when he took nine wickets in an innings for his uncle’s society club in a one-day game. That night, he earn INR 500, which roughly comparable to the 2.6 crore he receive at the 2017 IPL auction. When you get INR 70 to fill your gas tank and ride an old Platina to practice, 500 can feel like 2.6 crore.
The society game was his first realization of what he had.
Siraj had no idea it would allow him to build a living he’d never dreamed.
As the years passed, talent developed into potential, potential developed into opportunities. Opportunities matured into difficulties, and his determination to defy all odds ultimately paid off with a life-changing moment. Siraj began doing what he had done his entire adolescence. Attempting to bowl fast in Hyderabad zonal games, and boy, did bowling fast open up a Ranji Trophy selection door.
In 2015-16, he made his Ranji Trophy debut. The overpowering experience of being fast-tracked into professional cricket did not have the conversion rate required to completely blossom into a performance.
Siraj was only a year into professional cricket at the time, and he evolved dramatically over the next 12 months.
He reinvented himself, improved his skills, and improved his mental game. Also, with then-Hyderabad coach Bharat Arun unleashing his full potential the following season. Siraj had a breakout year like no other, scooping up 41 wickets and shredding Mumbai with a nine-fer.
This time, not pace, but performance, opened the door to the next stage of his cricketing career. After pushing his name into a profusion of talent. He sign by the Sunrisers Hyderabad for a lakh, which quickly turned into a crore, and then into 2.6.
Life had changed dramatically, but Siraj stay anchored and determined to transcend beyond what was predestined.
There are numerous characteristics that stand out about Siraj. The desire to succeed, the way he uses the crease, the seam movement, the wrist, and the new ball swing. But one thing stands out above all others: his attitude and philosophy.
Siraj bowled at an economy of less than 6.8 in 15 games for the IPL 2021 season.
Siraj finished the series with 13 wickets in three games at an average of 29.53. Including a five-fer at Brisbane’s Gabba. He had shed tears during the national anthem while remembering his father. – All this after skipping his father’s burial in order to continue doing what his father loved and lived for: playing Test cricket for India.
Two years later, Siraj is one of the Indian captain’s go-to strikers when the team is in trouble. The Hyderabad-born speedster relived his magic. This time at the Asia Cup finals in Colombo, scoring a spectacular six-fer against the hosts and putting an end to their challenge.
It’s simply too early to determine what the future holds for the right-arm fast. People watching have been altered in some ways, and Siraj’s life has undoubtedly taken off from his poor origins in Tolichowki.
Siraj stands out in a world where exceptional athletes may be brazen. Siraj smiles from a nook in a world where humility is overstated.
He was never smug, and he never will be. He donned the crown of humility with pride and proved the belief that modesty is hypocrisy where skill lies incorrect by awarding the prize money of USD 5,000 to the groundsmen in Colombo and Kandy for being named the Player of the Asia Cup final.
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