The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have been running hot and cold this season, and are currently fifth with five wins in nine matches and 10 points to their name.
One player who has been credited with a marked improvement in his performance was Mohammed Siraj, who has gone from taking a wicket every 30 balls and conceding at a rate of 8.46 runs an over in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, to picking 22 wickets at an economy of just 7.3 and a strike rate of 14.7, all of which are the best figures this season.
One former star India pacer has now earmarked a bright future for the 29-year-old, and believes that he can pick up the mantle which will be left behind by the injured Jasprit Bumrah come the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup in October-November.
“I have been following Siraj for a long time now. When he joined the Indian team, his graph was really high and then slowly it started falling. But it is good to see that he has worked on a lot of things this time, fitness being a major point. Now if you look at the technical bit, he has worked a lot on his wrist position and follow through for which he is getting the ball top bounce better and is also bowling stump-to-stump,” he told Hindustan Times.
“Of course, he can be a replacement for Bumrah. In fact, I feel, if his graph continues to increase he can be the next Mohammed Shami,” the 2007 T20 World Cup winner with India added.
Siraj's improvement in IPL 2023 has seen him perform much better especially during the powerplay and the death overs for RCB.
He has also upped his game for the national team since IPL 2022. He has played 20 ODIs since June 2022, and in this period, has picked up 38 wickets at just 19. Of those wickets, 24 came with the new ball at an economy rate of just 4.38.
With Jasprit Bumrah set to be on the sidelines for the World Cup, all eyes will be on Siraj, who will look to transform the same form to the ODI World Cup.
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