"Selection Not In My Hands...": Mohammed Siraj On Indian Cricket Team Return

Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) season with Gujarat Titans (GT), Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj said that a return to the Indian team is not on his hands, after watching Men in Blue lift the ICC Champions Trophy this year. He said that his focus remains on performing well and taking wickets for his team. Siraj was speaking on the season six of Backstage with Boria to Boria Majumdar. He also recalled when he started thinking of selection in T20 World Cup 2022 following that year's IPL, he could not perform well and since then, he has decided to focus on things he can control.

Speaking to Boria, Siraj, who was not included in the white-ball series against England and CT 2025 following a decent outing in Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which included 20 wickets in five matches at an average of 31.15, said, "Selection is not in my hands. What is in my hands is taking wickets and performing for my team. I will give my 100 per cent. If I start thinking about selection, it might affect my performance."

"In the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, just after the IPL, I was only thinking about selection and that I needed to bowl well. But the performances did not come. Later, I realised that the only things in my control are my bowling and giving 100 per cent. 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," he added.

On his body, Siraj said that he feels good and has worked on his mindset too.

"For me, everything depends on rhythm--the better my rhythm, the better I bowl. I have 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