One bad IPL won't change me: Mohammed Siraj

Seamer confident about success in England; thrilled with new pace crop in IndiaMUMBAI: Like in the case of a few top India players, IPL 2022 wasn't too kind to Mohammed Siraj. The 28-year-old was smashed for 31 sixes-the most any bowler has been hit for in the history of the tournament-while taking just nine wickets in 15 games at an expensive economy rate of 10.07. In an interview with TOI on the sidelines of filmmaker Neeraj Pandey's docu-series 'Bandon mein tha dum' on India's historic Test series triumph in 2020-21 in Australia, the fast bowler who's taken 36 wickets in 13 Tests@29.63 asserts that "one IPL doesn't change (perception) about Mohammed Siraj." He's now raring to bounce back. Excerpts...Now that you have had time to analyse, what went wrong with your bowling during the IPL?Records are meant to be broken. When you talk about the IPL, I also made a record when I bowled two maidens and took three wickets. Till now, that record is intact. I don't look at things like that. I agree that this year my performance hasn't been great. In the previous two years, when I performed so well with the white ball…that was also Siraj, and this is also Siraj. One IPL performance doesn't change the perception about Siraj. I know that I will make a comeback. I've faith in my ability. And this was also the advice Virat Kohli also gave you at RCB...Yes, Virat bhai told me: 'You've the ability, work on that. Don't think too much about not being able to perform well. Ups and downs come in everyone's life. Just stay in the present. Just focus on your performance and stay confident about what to bowl in which situation.

Virat Kohli and Mohammed Siraj. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)As his RCB and India teammate, you must be