"When my dad passed away, then Ravi sir supported me" - Mohammed Siraj

The Hyderabad born pacer who is currently representing Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League, Mohammed Siraj is one of the finest bowlers for India in recent times.

With a lot of hard work and enthusiasm, Mohammed Siraj has become India's regular fixture, especially in the longest format of the game along with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami.

Moreover, the right-arm pacer has played a crucial during the historic Test win at the Gabba against Australia where he scalped a five-fer under his belt.

Notably, on 20th November 2020, Mohammed Siraj has been with the Indian cricket team and got heartbreaking news as he lost his father. However, he continued to play as the whole cricket world praised him for his contribution to the sport.

Miyan, your dad would have wanted you to take five wickets on this tour: Ravi Shastri

At that time, Ravi Shastri was the head coach of the Indian team who has supported Mohammed Siraj in his bad time. During an interview on Backstage with Boria, Mohammed Siraj said, "When my dad passed away, then Ravi sir supported me.

He came up to me and said ‘see Miyan, your dad would have wanted you to take five wickets on this tour. I was very emotional, depressed and shattered. I couldn’t understand what was going on. We were under hard quarantine."

"I couldn't figure what to do - should I have flown back home or stay here and fulfill dad's dream. Then I thought that had I gone back, I would have had to undergo quarantine there as well. So I thought it would be better to continue being in Australia and fulfil my father's dream.

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My dad's dream made me strong during that time. I totally was lost. Due to quarantine rules, being in one room was all we could do. But I still remember that it was what also made me tough and gave me the strength to deal with everything," said Mohammed Siraj.

"In Melbourne, when I stepped onto the ground, it felt like a dream. People have always said the Boxing Day Test in MCG is huge, and I was part of it.

Being part of it and receiving your Test cap was a dream. I couldn’t measure my emotions and then I kept thinking that had my father been there, how happy he would have been," he added.