Fast bowler Mohammed Siraj has said he has managed to remain grounded despite his success and fame, attributing it to his humble beginnings. Siraj explained that he dislikes arrogance, fully aware of the journey it took to rise from a modest background.
He emphasised that he still spends time with the same set of friends he grew up with, stressing that he has not forgotten his past.
The fast bowler, who made his international debut in 2017, received his maiden Test cap in 2020 during India’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia. In five years, Siraj has evolved into one of the frontline fast bowlers in the Indian team. A regular in white-ball formats, he is also among the most sought-after pacers in the Indian Premier League (IPL), having secured a Rs 12.25 crore deal with the Gujarat Titans in the mega auction.
“Keeping in mind where I come from and where I have reached, I just don’t like attitude and arrogance. I make an effort to stay down-to-earth. I have the same set of friends that I used to have back in the day. I still hang around with them,” Siraj told The Indian Express.
“It’s not that now I have become an India player, so I would make new friends and move around in a Range Rover with them. I do have a Range Rover and I drive around, but I still go to places where I played tennis-ball cricket with my old friends as a child. I chill with them and stay the same as I always was. I don’t make them feel uncomfortable. I will have tea in the same cup as them. We fool around and laugh the way we used to when I wasn’t an international cricketer.
“I tell them not to give me any special treatment and that we are equals, just like it used to be. These days, people do a lot of things once they become successful.
“My aim is to always remain grounded. I am also aware that there will be times I will do well, but success can also disappear. That means, again, I will work hard and again I will succeed.”
Siraj, the son of an auto driver, said he never dreamt of becoming a cricketer, adding that he was motivated to play more when he was paid for his tennis-ball cricket matches.
