Real Madrid, Ramadan and rest: How Mohammed Siraj's February got a T20 World Cup addition

TimesofIndia.com in Mumbai: Mohammed Siraj was cooling his heels at home and had his February -- a month of no cricket -- planned out. First on the list was watching a Real Madrid game on February 15, which would have followed the festivities of Ramadan alongside loved ones. The well-laid plans, however, were interrupted when he got a call from India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav.

"Surya bhai called me. He said, 'Miya bag pack kar le and come' (pack your bags and come). I said, 'Surya bhai, mazaak mat karo' (don’t joke, because this is not going to happen). He said, I’m telling you the truth—get ready. As soon as he hung up, I got a call from (Pragyan) Ojha. So suddenly, I got shocking news. No one can change what God has written. I came(and) played the match ... everything was written," an emotional Siraj told reporters after India's T20 World Cup win over USA at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday.




As he explained the dramatic last 24 hours, his eyes had a teary sheen. Every word came from the heart and gratitude was written all over them. The sequence of events became difficult to process, and reality struck the bowler when he finally boarded the flight to Mumbai on February 6. In a few hours he was officially joining India's World Cup squad for a format he had been away from since 2024.

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"It was hard. First of all, in the last 24 hours, when I was sitting on the flight, it felt like a dream because I never thought I would play in the World Cup," said Siraj.

"For the past year, the planning was that all the World Cup players would get chances in T20s. But when I didn’t play in T20s, I understood that I wouldn’t be part of it this year," he added.

When he continued to be the workhorse in Tests and the 50-over format, it seemed the T20I opportunity had passed. Management persisted with Harshit Rana and had their combination ready for the multi-nation event in India and Sri Lanka. Only after Rana's ill-timed injury did the selectors look for a right-arm quick and make the SOS call to Siraj. There was communication with India's Strength and Conditioning coach Adrian Le Roux regarding plans for the next few days but little did the two know back then that they would be in the same dugout within 48 hours.

"I was spending time with my family, and one day before, I got a message from Adrian asking about my plans for the next few days. I said, don’t message me right now—I’m resting because I’m playing two four-day games. I need rest, and after that we’ll see the plan," said Siraj.

Jasprit Bumrah's illness made the selection call even sweeter as Siraj took the field for India in their tournament opener versus USA.

Siraj, World Cup and Wankhede is a setting we have seen before and he was back to his usual penetrating best with the new ball when he struck twice in the opening spell. Another wicket was added in the final over—the last of the innings—allowing him to return with figures of 3/29.

From leading Hyderabad in the Ranji Trophy a week ago to opening the attack with Arshdeep Singh in a T20 World Cup game, it was a quick transition for the seasoned campaigner. The plans were chalked out late at night, and the experience took over when he stood on top of his mark. Hardik Pandya, fielding at mid-on, egged on the crowd, which roared with "Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Siraj" chants. The dream was now a reality for the 31-year-old.

"Earlier I didn’t know I would play. I was just happy to be back in the team. But when I got the message that I was playing, I became more excited. I arrived yesterday and played the match today, so I was very excited. While I was playing the Ranji Trophy as captain, I was thinking about my role and the team’s needs. Even today, I was thinking about my bowling—how to put pressure on the opposition, where to attack, whether to bowl defensively or aggressively. All that was in my mind, and whatever I planned, it got executed," said Siraj.

Emotion has always remained the keyword for Siraj, who continues to wear his heart on his sleeve. Whether it was the delicate morning at The Oval on Day 5 of the final India-England Test or the pleasant evening at the Wankhede on Saturday, the approach remained the same.

"Obviously, there is emotion. As a player, playing in the World Cup is a different dream. So I just bowled the same line and length that I was bowling in the Ranji Trophy. When we were batting, I felt the new ball wasn’t that easy to hit. So my plan was to stick to the new ball, bowl wicket to wicket, and if I could get a wicket there, it would help the team a lot. That was the plan, and I executed it and got wickets as well. So I’m very happy," said Siraj.

The Cristiano Ronaldo wallpaper he applied to his cellphone on the morning of Day 5 of The Oval Test continues to inspire him. It was the instant mental switch which allowed him to make a seamless return to the T20I set-up.



"When you’re playing in the World Cup, you have to be mentally ready. I’ve been playing for India for almost 10 years now, so when you get a chance, you know how to prepare yourself. If a youngster gets the chance, he has to think about many things. But since I’ve been around the team, I know how to get ready in this format and how to set my mindset. Even when I slept last night, I just thought I would stick to the same weapon that has given me success so far. And I got the same success today as well," said Siraj.

'Believe', with a Ronaldo picture, continues to stare back at him every time he pulls the phone out. However, the footballer's former club (Real Madrid) will have to wait a bit longer to see Siraj in the stands because the bowler is on T20 World Cup duty.

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