Team India pace bowler Mohammed Siraj has broken his silence on leaving Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) season. The right-arm pacer revealed that Virat Kohli played a crucial role in shaping his career, particularly during tough phases in the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
Mohammed Siraj had been with Royal Challengers Bengaluru for seven years. He joined the team as a youngster in 2018 and played 87 matches. Siraj took 83 wickets, with his best bowling figures being 4/21. However, RCB did not retain him ahead of IPL 2025, and Gujarat Titans acquired him for ₹12.25 crore.
Virat Kohli Played a Crucial Role in My Career – Mohammed Siraj
Mohammed Siraj admitted that leaving Royal Challengers Bengaluru was an emotional moment for him. Siraj revealed that Kohli helped with his retention at RCB and his performance improvement.
“To be honest, Virat Kohli has a huge hand in my career. He backed me in my bad times – 2018 and 2019 – he supported me, he even retained me, and after that, my performance and graph went up. He has been very supportive. It has been very emotional for me to leave RCB. Let’s see what happens when I come against RCB. The match is on April 2,” Siraj said as quoted by ANI.
Mohammed Siraj to Lead Gujarat Titans’ Pace Attack in IPL 2025
Mohammed Siraj began his IPL career with Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2017 before joining Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2018 for ₹2.20 crore. He had some strong performances but also endured difficult seasons with the ball.
For IPL 2025, Siraj will spearhead the Gujarat Titans’ pace attack after the team moved on from Mohammad Shami. He will be paired with Kagiso Rabada as GT looks to build a formidable fast-bowling unit under captain Shubman Gill.
Gujarat Titans will kick off their IPL 2025 campaign against Punjab Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 25. It will be interesting to see how Siraj begins his journey with his new franchise.
Training With Gujarat Titans’ Pacers Is Going Very Well – Mohammed Siraj
Siraj stated that his training with Gujarat Titans’ pacers is going well. The 31-year-old emphasized that the bowling unit is focused on strategizing and executing plans effectively.
“My training is going very well with all the pacers 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 in Gujarat Titans,” Siraj said.
After failing to qualify for the playoffs in the Indian Premier League 2024, Gujarat Titans have strengthened their squad for the upcoming season. The 2023 champions have built a well-balanced team featuring a deep bowling attack and a formidable top order. They will be aiming to bounce back in the tournament.
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