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SPORTS MARCH 28, 2025 | The Indian Eye 37

IPL 2025

As the season kicks off, young guns than RCB

and Virat Kohli for their growth as players

Siraj was bought by RCB in 2018 for Rs 2.6 crore, and he played 87 matches for them,

picking 83 wickets at an average of 31.45

OUR BUREAU
Bengaluru

ohammed Siraj is set to play for Gujarat
Titans (GT) this year in the Indian Pre-
Mmier League. Siraj expressed his emotions
about Virat Kohli and Royal Challengers Bengaluru
(RCB). He said Kohli has played a big hand in his
career and supported him in his ups and downs. He
also noted that it was a very emotional moment for
him to leave RCB.
Siraj was bought by RCB in 2018 for Rs 2.6 crore,
and he played 87 matches for them, picking 83 wick-
ets at an average of 31.45, with the best figures of 4/21.
He is RCB’s third-highest wicket-taker ever, behind
Harshal Patel (99) and Yuzvendra Chahal (139).
“To be honest Virat Kohli has huge hand in my
career, he has backed me in my bad time, 2018 and
2019 he supported me he even retained me and af-
ter that my performance and graph got up, he has
been very supportive. It has been very emotional
for me to leave RC. Let’s see what happens when I
come against RCB. The match is on April 2,” Mo-
hammed Siraj said.
“My training is going very well with all the pac-
ers in my team, and our bowling unit knows how to
plan and execute. I am feeling very pleasant training
with them all, teammates, and especially being here Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Virat Kohli during a practice session ahead of the opening Indian Premiere League (IPL) match
in Gujarat Titans,” he added. against Kolkata Knight Riders, at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday (ANI)
During his stint with RCB, Siraj experienced
qualification to playoffs four times but could never
win a trophy. The 2023 season was his best for RCB. A lifelong fan of Kohli, he couldn’t resist when With the key cricket season approaching, Nitish
He took 19 wickets in 14 matches at an average of the cricket legend offered up a prized pair of his has cemented himself as one of cricket’s brightest
19.74 and an economy rate of 7.50, with best figures shoes. Wearing them at the Melbourne Cricket young talents. He played a key role in his team’s IPL
of 4/21. Ground, Nitish scripted history, becoming the first final run last season for the Sunrisers Hyderabad,
In the last season, during which Siraj took 15 Indian batter to score a Test century in Australia scoring 303 runs and taking three wickets under Pat
wickets in 14 matches at an average of 33.07, RCB from No. 8--the third-youngest Indian centurion in Cummins’ “dedicated and calm” leadership. Deter-
experienced a memorable turnaround in the second Australia after Sachin Tendulkar & Rishabh Pant-- mined to become a top all-rounder, Nitish has also
half of the season. They went from winning only one and setting the record for the most sixes by an Indi- sought advice from Hardik Pandya while impressing
of their first eight matches to winning six matches in an in a Test series there. on his Bangladesh debut before his BGT heroics.
a row to book a place in the playoffs. “Back in the locker room, he (Kohli) once asked Nitish revealed that amidst the celebrations of
However, they lost to Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Sarfaraz (Khan), ‘Sarfu, tera size kya hai?’ (Sar- his unforgettable Melbourne century, he found him-
the eliminator. Siraj’s last competitive cricket match faraz, what’s your shoe size?), and he said, ‘Nine.’ self searching for just two people.
was against Vidarbha in January. He took four wick- Then he turned to me, and I thought, ‘Oh my god, “Everyone in the dressing room came up and
ets across both innings in their Ranji Trophy match. I have to guess this correctly,’ because even if they congratulated me, but I was just looking for one guy-
Also, ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) weren’t my size, I really wanted his shoes. I said, ‘10,’ -hoping he’d come and talk to me. When Virat bhai
2025, Nitish Kumar Reddy sat down with PUMA and he gave them to me. In the next match, I wore (Kohli) finally walked up and told me I had played a
India to reflect on his meteoric rise--from his re- those shoes and scored a hundred!” Reddy shared wonderful game, that moment itself was special for
cord-breaking Border-Gavaskar Trophy century to in the hour-long podcast, also revealing that he later me. I was also scanning the stands for my father but
the light-hearted dressing room banter that earned got both his bat and those shoes signed by Kohli, ac- couldn’t find him. Later, I saw on the screen that he
him a special gift from Virat Kohli, now forever tied cording to PUMA India release. was crying,” he said.
to that historic innings.
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