10 Facts about Mohammed Siraj: The next big thing from Hyderabad

Hyderabad pacer Mohammed Siraj has been making giant strides in the Indian domestic circuit. Ever since breaking out into the First Class cricket, Siraj has only gone on to impress more and more with every passing game. It was his consistent show in the domestic season of 2016-17 that saw him bag a lot of attention at the IPL auctions 2017.

He was bagged for a whopping amount in the auctions and soon found himself donning the Sunrisers Hyderabad jersey for the IPL 10. It was only a matter of time that he impressed the team management and got his maiden IPL game in the early stages of the tournament.

The kind of start this youngster has had in the recent times is only a precursor of what lies in store for him in the future. He is certainly one of the most exciting fast bowling prospects for the national side as well. The Indian selectors picked him for the T20I series against New Zealand and this will be his maiden national call-up.

Here are some exciting facts about Mohammed Siraj – the next big thing from Hyderabad:

1. Roots and beginnings

Siraj was born on March 13, 1994, at Hyderabad. He was born into a lower-middle-class family to parents Mohammed Ghaus and Shabana Begum.

2. Love for the parents

The youngster is very close to his parents and feels indebted to the numerous sacrifices that his parents have made for him. Belonging from a weak financial background, his parents sacrificed a lot to let him play the game of cricket. His father was an auto-driver.

3. A self-taught professional

As a young kid, he started playing tennis ball cricket. Hence, he did not have the privilege of being coached by the professionals at a young age. Hence, as admitted by Mohammed Siraj himself, he is a self-taught bowler. Tennis ball cricket taught him the ability to bowl in the block holes.

4. Began professional career as batsman

After being a superstar in tennis ball cricket, friends of Siraj forced him to enroll as a professional cricketer. He joined the Charminar Cricket Club as a batsman but later turned into a fast bowler.

5. First income as a cricketer

Siraj’s first income as a cricketer was INR 500. He had played a club match under the captaincy of his uncle. He bagged 9 wickets in the 25 over fixture. Impressed with his performance, his uncle rewarded him with INR 500. Now, he had a 2.6 crore IPL deal to his name.

6. From bashing to being loved

Elder brother of Siraj is an IT engineer. In his childhood, Siraj used to get a lot of bashing from his mother because he did not like studying. His brother, on the other hand, excelled at academics. Now, his mother is very proud for all the achievements that he has got today.

7. Making a rapid rise after mild start

Siraj made his debut in the 2015-16 Ranji Season for Hyderabad. However, he played a solitary game against Services. He failed to impress and had to warm the bench for the remainder of the tournament. However, he was impressive in the 50 overs Vijay Hazare trophy. He then played for the Hyderabad U23 team. His coach Arjun Yadav helped him get better with his skills.

8. Leading wicket taker in the season

In the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy, Mohammad Siraj finished as the highest wicket-taker for Hyderabad with 41 wickets to his name at an average of 18.92.

9. Bagging the big IPL deal

Siraj managed to get the attention of the franchise owners at the IPL auctions this year. Fierce bidding saw Siraj emerge as one of the top uncapped buys of the auctions. He was bought for INR 2.6 Crore by the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the auctions.

10. Staying humble and buying new house for family

After having bagged a big IPL deal, Mohammed Siraj still remembers the hardships his parents had to endure in his childhood. When he was bought at the auctions, Siraj had then remarked that the first thing he would do with the money will be to buy a new house for his family.