Was going to Madrid to watch Real’s game but Surya bhai said ‘Miaan, pack your bags’: Siraj

The past three days have been nothing short of surreal for Mohammed Siraj. From taking a break after the Ranji Trophy season and planning a trip to Spain to watch Real Madrid take on Real Sociedad on February 15, the Hyderabadi pacer suddenly found himself leading India’s bowling attack in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup opener, and delivering a match-winning performance.
Siraj emerged as India’s most successful bowler in their 29-run victory over the USA at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday, finishing with impressive figures of 3 for 29 in his four overs.
He struck early to set the tone, dismissing opener Andries Gous for six in the second over. Two overs later, Siraj removed Saiteja Mukkamalla (2), who was caught at short midwicket by Varun Chakravarthy. He capped off his spell in the final over by getting rid of Shubham Ranjane (37), effectively sealing India’s winning start to the tournament.
The 30-year-old, who has represented India in 45 Tests, 50 ODIs and 16 T20Is, admitted he could hardly believe his return to the shortest format after nearly two years on the sidelines.
Siraj’s call-up came after pacer Harshit Rana was ruled out of the tournament due to a knee injury. India captain Suryakumar Yadav personally informed Siraj of the sudden change in plans.
“Miaan, bags pack kar aur aaja (Pack your bags and come to Mumbai),” Siraj recalled Suryakumar saying. “I told him not to pull my leg as I didn’t think this could happen. But he insisted it was true and asked me to get ready.”
The confirmation soon followed from BCCI selector Pragyan Ojha. “Whatever the Almighty has written, no one can change that,” Siraj said, reflecting on the unexpected turn of events.
The pacer revealed that he had already made plans, including attending the Real Madrid match and preparing for Ramzan. “There was a game on the 15th that I was going to watch, and then Ramzan. But whatever the Almighty has written…,” he said, trailing off with a smile.
Siraj admitted he had not expected to feature in the T20 World Cup, believing he was no longer in the management’s plans for the format. “It felt unreal to be called back after two years. While on the flight, it felt like a dream,” he said.
“For the last year, those in the plans were getting chances, and since I hadn’t played T20Is, I knew I wouldn’t be part of it.”
As Siraj scripted an unlikely comeback on the world stage, teammate Rinku Singh summed it up in a social media post: “God’s plan, baby.”