Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], March 25: Ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season with Gujarat Titans (GT), Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj has spoken candidly about his focus on performance rather than selection for the Indian team. Reflecting on the journey of the Men in Blue lifting the ICC Champions Trophy this year, Siraj emphasized that selection is beyond his control, and his primary goal is to perform well and take wickets for his team.
Siraj shared his thoughts during season six of Backstage with Boria with Boria Majumdar. He recalled his experience leading up to the 2022 T20 World Cup, where he began thinking too much about his selection following a less-than-ideal IPL performance. Since then, Siraj has shifted his mindset, focusing on what he can control—his bowling and performance for the team.
“I realized that selection is not in my hands. What is in my hands is taking wickets and performing for my team. I will give my 100%. If I start thinking about selection, it might affect my performance,” Siraj said. He continued, “In the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, after IPL, I was only thinking about selection and how I needed to bowl well. But the performances didn’t come. Later, I realized that the only things in my control are my bowling and giving 100%. The most important thing is performance and whether I am executing my plans properly. I have learned this over the last few years, and it has been very helpful.”
Discussing his physical condition, Siraj mentioned that he feels good and has worked on his mindset as well. “For me, everything depends on rhythm—the better my rhythm, the better I bowl. I’ve also worked on my mindset, and the break I got was very helpful. The body does get tired after playing so many matches, but right now, I am in good condition physically,” he added.
Siraj, who will be donning the Gujarat Titans jersey this season, marks the end of his seven-year-long stint with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), where he was one of the key bowlers alongside Virat Kohli. Siraj’s journey with RCB began in 2018 when he was bought for Rs 2.6 crores after a brief stint with Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2017. Over the course of 87 matches, he took 83 wickets at an average of 31.45, with the best figures of 4/21, making him RCB’s third-highest wicket-taker.
During his time with RCB, Siraj experienced four playoff qualifications, but a trophy eluded him. His best season was in 2023, where he took 19 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 19.74, and an economy rate of 7.50. However, RCB’s journey to the playoffs was cut short by a loss to Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the eliminator.
Siraj’s last competitive match was in January, where he played in the Ranji Trophy against Vidarbha, taking four wickets across both innings. He was not included in the Indian team for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.