When I wore my cap in Melbourne, thought dad should've been here, reveals Mohammed Siraj

Mohammed Siraj made his debut during India's tour of Australia in 2020/21 and it was nothing short of a fairytale as the Indian speedster played a major role in helping India win. The tour had its ups and downs for players as it was not easy playing with the bio-bubble restrictions and the team had to see players being ruled out due to injuries as well. 

However, Mohammed Siraj had to go through a lot of emotions as he lost his father during the tour and was unable to fly back to India due to the covid-19 restrictions. The Indian pacer talked about how tough it was for him after his father passed away and revealed how his mother helped him stay strong during that time. 

"It was really tough for me. My dad was ill during the IPL too. But family members hadn't told me that the matter was serious. I got to know about his condition when I landed in Australia," Mohammed Siraj was quoted as saying by RCB in an article on their official website.

There was Covid-19 protocol as well. We had to quarantine. When we had our practice, I got to know about dad's death. My mother made me strong during that period. She told me, 'Fulfil your dad's dream and make your country proud. This was my only motivation. I didn't even know if I will get a chance to play. There were senior bowlers in the team," he added.

Mohammed Siraj got the chance to play for India in the second Test match after suffering a humiliating defeat in Adelaide.

"I finally got an opportunity in the second Test... When I wore my cap in Melbourne, I thought 'dad should've been here'. After Mohammed Shami got injured, I got a chance to play for India. One thing was there in my mind that I had performed well for India A and had scalped 8 wickets against Australia A. So, it gave me the confidence to do well in my first Test series for India," Siraj further added.