NEW DELHI: Mohammed Siraj has expressed his delight over the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) decision to lift the saliva ban ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. He believes that this move will aid bowlers in finding reverse swing, even in conditions that are not conducive to it.
"It's very good for bowlers. It's excellent news for us bowlers because when the ball is not doing anything, applying saliva on the ball will increase the chances of finding some reverse swing," Siraj told PTI. He further explained, "It sometimes aids reverse swing because scrubbing the ball against the shirt will not help (to get reverse swing). But using saliva on the ball will help in maintaining (the shine on one side), and it is important."
Having recently joined the Gujarat Titans for the upcoming season, Siraj is excited to play under the captaincy of Shubman Gill, whom he considers a "bowler's captain." "It's a good feeling to join Gujarat ahead of the new season. Yeah, it was a bit emotional for me to leave RCB because Virat bhai had supported me a lot in tough times, but we have a fantastic team here under Gill," he said. Siraj noted, "If you talk about Gill, then he is a bowler's captain. He never tries to stop you from trying something new or hinder your plans. We have made our Test debut together (vs Australia in 2020) and we share a very good personal rapport too."
The Gujarat Titans boast a formidable bowling lineup, including Kagiso Rabada, Rashid Khan, Ishant Sharma, and Gerald Coetzee. Siraj views this as a positive factor, as it fosters healthy competition and eases the burden on individual bowlers. He remarked, "It is actually a great thing because it is such an experienced line-up and will foster some healthy competition, which is good for the team. These bowlers do not require much guidance and they know their plans. So in that sense, it's a blessing to have such bowlers in a competition like IPL because we have all kinds of bowlers, who have ticked all the right areas."
While he acknowledges missing out on recent international assignments, Siraj remains focused on his performance in the IPL and is not overly concerned about selection for the national team. "Look, selection is not in my hands. I have only a cricket ball in my hands and I wanted to do as much as I can with that. I don't want to put pressure on myself thinking about selection, as I want to focus on my performance. Yeah, as a player, it remains in the back of your mind that there is a tour of England and the Asia Cup but I don't really seriously think about it, as my focus is on IPL and doing well for Gujarat Titans and helping them win another IPL title," he concluded.
Siraj is looking forward to working with Ashish Nehra, the Gujarat Titans' coach, and learning from his vast experience as a fast bowler. "As a fast bowler, Ashu bhai has done a lot for Indian cricket; he was a genuine match-winner for the country. I want to learn some things from him that I feel will improve me as a bowler. It's very important for me to add those new skill sets to my bowling, such as bowling stumps to stumps line and bowling at the right length," Siraj stated.
As the countdown to IPL 2025 begins, the cricketing world watches closely, eager to see how Siraj's performance and the experience of the Gujarat Titans shape this season's narratives.
