Mohammed Siraj, speedster from Hyderabad has landed a Rs 2.6 crore deal with Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2017 auction held in Bengaluru today.
For Mohammed Siraj, the first thing on his mind is to buy a house for his father Mohammed Ghaus and mother Shabana Begum in a good Hyderabad locality.
And why not? The speedster has landed a Rs 2.6 crore deal with Sunrisers Hyderabad, thanks to a brilliant first class season that saw him get India A and Rest of India call-ups.
“Today, I remember my first income playing cricket. It was a club match and my maternal uncle was the captain of the team. I got 9 wickets for 20 odd runs in that 25 over game. My uncle was so happy he gave me Rs 500 as a prize. It was a great feeling. But today when the bid was raised to Rs 2.6 crore, I just went numb,” Siraj expressed.
Coming from a lower middle class family, it is but obvious that he is indebted to his parents. They made a lot of sacrifices in making him a professional cricketer.
The Rest of India pacer Mohammed Siraj has two important objectives to accomplish once he returns home to Hyderabad after the ongoing Irani Cup game against Gujarat. Firstly, to convince his father Mohammed Ghouse to give up driving a auto rickshaw for a living and then buy a new home for his family.
“Mere walid saab (Father) ne bahot mehnat ki hain (My father has slogged). He drove auto all these years but never let financial pressure of the family affect me or my elder brother. A bowling spikes costs a lot and he would just get the best for me. I want to buy a house for them now in a good locality,” an emotional Siraz said.
Impressive Performance in 2015-16 Ranji Trophy
The 22-year-old pacer ended this Ranji season with 41 scalps in nine games. This performance which led to his Rest of India selection for the Irani Cup. Siraj was included in the playing XI when Mumbai’s Shardul Thakur was ruled out due to an ankle injury.
For him, the progress was a gradual one.
“Since I started from tennis ball cricket, I am self taught. I had pace but tennis ball cricket teaches you to bowl in blockholes. Then I played Hyderabad U-22, Mushtaq Ali, Vijay Hazare and then Ranji Trophy followed by India A. I have taken one step at a time. Next is IPL after which theAsenior national team,” said Siraj.
“Sharing the SRH dressing room with VVS Laxman as mentor and captained by David Warner is a big plus for Siraj.”
“As a youngster, I would like to learn everything I can. Laxman sir is there and I would get a chance to interact with a player of David Warner’s stature,” concluded Siraj.
The rise of Siraj from rags to riches proves again the role of IPL in development and upliftment of players in India. It continues to provide hope to aspiring cricketers in India to make their life better.
