Siraj Shines in IPL: Proves His Worth with Stellar Bowling

Praise poured in for Mohammed Siraj on Thursday after his amazing bowling performance for the Gujarat Titans against his old team, the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the IPL. Siraj, who was left out of India’s Champions Trophy team, seemed eager to prove himself to both the national selectors and RCB’s management. He took 3 wickets for just 19 runs at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, a place where he played for seven seasons. After last season, RCB let Siraj go, and he was bought by Gujarat for a hefty $1.4 million in the auction last November.

This season, Siraj has been playing well, taking five wickets in three matches and showing good speed and accuracy. Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag mentioned that Siraj’s strong performance was fueled by his recent exclusion from the Champions Trophy. “I think he is hurt about not being in the squad. He is showing his willingness to prove himself,” Sehwag said on Cricbuzz. Commentator Kane Williamson also praised Siraj’s fiery attitude, highlighting his aggressive and fast bowling.

Siraj’s efforts helped keep Bengaluru’s score to 169 runs for 8 wickets, which Gujarat chased down easily, winning by 8 wickets with 13 balls to spare. England’s Jos Buttler scored an impressive 73 runs off 39 balls and was named the player of the match alongside Siraj. Siraj said, “It was emotional to return here after seven years. I was a bit nervous, but once I got the ball, I was ready to go all in.” This victory marked Gujarat’s second win in a row, while it was RCB’s first loss of the season.