"My role will be to take early wickets and put pressure on the opposition": Mohammed Siraj on his role in Gujarat Titans

New Delhi [India] March 25 (ANI): Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign for Gujarat Titans (GT), GT pacer Mohammed Siraj has spoken about his role in his new team Gujarat Titans. Speaking on Backstage with Boria season 6 he said "I will bowl with the new ball and my job is to take early wickets."
He also spoke of his plans: if he is unable to get wickets in the powerplay and said that he would aim to bowl dot balls then.
"To be honest, I know [Kagiso] Rabada is here, and Prasidh [Krishna] is also here, but when I bowl with the new ball, my role will be to take early wickets and put pressure on the opposition as quickly as possible. If I do not get wickets, I aim to bowl dot balls to build that pressure. So, my role is to take as many wickets as possible at the start, which will help the bowlers coming in later." Mohammed Siraj said while speaking to Boria Majumdar on Backstage with Boria season 6.
Siraj also spoke the importance of the conditions and the nature of the wicket at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The pace spearhead said that in Ahmedabd due to the large ground he could aim to ball short balls.
"It will be crucial. In Bengaluru, the top edge often goes for a six, but the ground is big here, so there are more chances to take wickets. Because of the bigger ground, we can use short balls and execute our plans better," he said.
Siraj also spoke about his role as a senior player in the dressing room and said he would discuss plans needed to bowl to a particular batter.
"See, in the nets, when Prasidh and I are bowling, we always discuss different situations--what plans we need to execute and where we should bowl to a particular batter. Prasidh and I have been playing with the Indian team for a long time, so we have a good understanding. Another youngster, Arshad Khan, is a talented left-arm fast bowler. He can swing the ball both inswing and outswing, and I always coordinate with him. He can also bat, so he is a proper all-rounder. We all discuss and share plans that we need to execute, and it has been fun so far." he added.
Siraj will not be wearing the Red and Gold colours of RCB this season after a seven-year tenure with the franchise and one of his greatest advocates, Virat Kohli. After playing one season for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in 2017, where he took 10 wickets in six matches, Siraj was purchased by RCB for Rs 2. 6 crores. He participated in 87 matches for them, securing 83 wickets at an average of 31. 45, with his best figures being 4/21.
He is RCB's third-highest wicket-taker in history, following Harshal Patel (99) and Yuzvendra Chahal (139). During his time with RCB, Siraj reached the playoffs four times but was unable to secure a trophy. The 2023 season was his most successful for RCB, as he achieved 19 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 19. 74 and an economy rate of 7. 50, with his best figures recorded at 4/21.
In the previous season, where Siraj took 15 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 33. 07, RCB saw a remarkable improvement in the second half of the season, transforming from winning only one of their initial eight matches to clinching six consecutive victories to secure a spot in the playoffs. Nevertheless, they were defeated by Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the eliminator.
Siraj's final competitive cricket match was against Vidarbha in January, where he took four wickets over both innings in their Ranji Trophy encounter. He was not selected for Team India, which triumphed in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. (ANI)