Mohammed Siraj

"In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, Siraj emerged as India’s lead strike bowler to top the ICC ODI bowlers' rankings. Although he has slipped to fifth spot, he is still the highest-ranked Indian, and has seamlessly settled in a format in which many thought he wouldn't be able to create the sort of impact he has with the red ball. Having made his debut during India’s famous tour of Australia in 2020/21, Siraj has evolved into an all-format pacer, who is capable of providing breakthroughs with the new ball. When on song, there are not many pacers around the world who can run through oppositions in a spell like Siraj can, and that makes him lethal. Having started with tennis-ball cricket, pace came naturally to him and a breakthrough Ranji Trophy season in 2016/17 put him in the national limelight. And from there on, he has hardly looked back. With India having entered a transition phase on the bowling front, Siraj is seen as the one who will carry the team’s fast bowling attack forward. Lean, mean and menacing, Siraj’s biggest strength is to land the ball in pockets where batsmen are not sure whether to go forward or play from the crease. Watch out for his scrambled-seam deliveries that can cut back in at pace and skid off the pitch.

One-day memory: (4/46 against New Zealand, January 2023)

Hard to look beyond this outing which saw him play his maiden international fixture in front of his home ground. With his mother and family watching from the stands, and 35,000 fans chanting his name, Siraj was consumed with emotion. And on a high-scoring night, the local boy delivered the knockout punch to deliver a 12-run win that seemed improbable at one stage when Michael Bracewell was going strong.

One more thing: Likes his mother’s dal khichdi and when in Hyderabad, likes to hang out at the First Lancer Maidan with his childhood friends as he rewinds the clock in search of nostalgia."