Virat Kohli showed faith and retained me in RCB even when I didn't perform: Mohammed Siraj

India’s ace speedster Mohammed Siraj is living a fairytale since December 2020. A decent run in the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) saw Siraj receiving a maiden call-up for the Indian Test team. Siraj finally received a chance to don the whites during the second Test of the four-match series against Australia.

In Australia, Siraj got off to a flying start in his international circuit as he ended up as the highest wicket-taker for India. The right-arm pacer claimed 13 wickets in the series at an average of 29.53, including a maiden five-wicket haul (5/73). The seamer continued his exploits in IPL 2021 too as he rattled the opposition batters with his pace and yorkers. 

Siraj has often credited Indian skipper Virat Kohli for always backing him in his rough time and helping him reach greater heights in his career. On June 3, Thursday, Siraj echoed the same sentiments as he expressed his gratitude to the Indian skipper for always being there with him. 

“Virat Bhai is always there. When I couldn’t perform well in the IPL two years back, he showed faith in my ability. He retained me in RCB and I am grateful for this,” he told ABP Bengali.

I still hold that Platina Bike as this is a symbol of my struggle: Mohammed Siraj

Further in the interaction, Siraj spoke about his struggle during the early days of his cricketing career. The 27-year-old revealed that a few years back, he used to own a Bajaj Platina bike. The seamer still has that bike with him as it is a symbol of his struggle and encourages him to do much better in life. 

“I still possess the decayed Bajaj Platina Bike. It was not in good condition when I used to ride it in my early cricketing days. It doesn’t have a self-start or even a kick. I had to run with it a few steps to start the engine. It helped me to reach the ground on time. But the vehicle was very embarrassing for me,” the 27-year-old said.

“Whenever I played a match at Hyderabad, after practice or at the end of the match, I waited for my teammates to leave the stadium with their cars before I started my familiar struggle to start the bike. Now I have expensive cars. But I still hold that Platina Bike as this is a symbol of my struggle and it encourages me to bowl at my best,” he further remarked.