Mohammed Siraj’s fiery bolt of energy in India’s Test series in England was impossible to ignore. But it wasn’t raw emotion alone. Day in, day out, Siraj ran hard, taking the responsibility of pushing hard on his shoulders. It was a deliberate strategy, a legacy passed on from his former captain, Virat Kohli. As Siraj himself put it, “Maine yeh Virat bhai se sikha hai,” explaining how Kohli taught him to play with aggression and passion, treating the opponent not as a friend but as a rival, on the field at least.
Siraj continues Kohli’s legacy
That intensity came alive again during the climactic Oval Test. Siraj actively rallied the crowd, urging them to roar life into the Indian fight. It worked. The momentum shifted, England wavered, and Siraj capitalised, driving India to a thrilling series-levelling win. Siraj won the Player of the Match for his incredible nine wickets in the game. It wasn’t just that. Siraj was always in the ears of the English batters, no matter the situation. It brought the best out of the pacer, just like it did in the case of his inspiration, Kohli, too.
“All through his career, he played cricket with the same intensity. And that’s what I have tried to learn from him. If you see the fourth day at The Oval, there was a time when England was controlling the game and there was a very strong partnership between Root and Brook. That’s where you need the intensity. You can’t let your shoulders drop and can’t let things go out of control,” said Siraj while speaking to RevSportz.
Spearhead Siraj in England
When India toured England, Siraj arrived as Jasprit Bumrah’s understudy—and in a matter of five gruelling Tests, he emerged as the spearhead of India’s pace assault. With Shami unavailable and Bumrah in a managed workload, Siraj bowled through fatigue and expectations, leading the attack across all five matches and finishing as the series’ highest wicket-taker with a staggering 23 dismissals.
“Virat bhai always said to us that we need to play cricket with aggression and passion. When we are on the field, the opponent is not a friend. The opponent is our enemy. After the match is over, we are all friends.”
By not making his opponent his friend, even England’s coach Brendon McCullum paid tribute to Siraj’s aggression, and even Joe Root called him a “real warrior”. Amid mounting pressure, Siraj stayed relentless. Every ball, every spell, as though playing for country, not personal glory.
Editor's Pick
Cricket
How Virat Kohli's 100 in Ranchi resulted in tickets for IND vs SA 3rd ODI getting sold out instantly
Top Stories
