The Gujarat Titans will be hosting the Punjab Kings for their tournament opener at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. Mohammad Siraj’s inclusion into the squad has escalated the pace bowling attack of the Gujarat Titans. His 7 year stint with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru came to an end when he was released by them last year in the mega auction. He felt a bit emotional when he wore his new franchise jersey. Speaking at the Boria Majumdar he said,
“I got emotional when I wore the GT jersey for the first time, because it was 7 years with RCB. But I’m not feeling new here, the environment here is amazing“.
3rd All-Time Wicket-Taker For RCB
Siraj holds the position of RCB’s third-highest wicket-taker in their history after Harshal Patel (99) and Yuzvendra Chahal (139). The RCB team played in four knockout rounds with Siraj as a player though they failed to bring home any trophies during his time at the franchise. During the 2023 season, RCB witnessed their best performance from Siraj as he secured a total of 19 wickets from his 14 matches with an average of 19.74 and an economy rate of 7.50 in addition to his best figures reaching 4/21.
Siraj’s Last Season With RCB
During the previous season Siraj secured 15 wickets from a total of 14 matches playing at a 33.07 average while RCB experienced their best second half performance to qualify for the playoffs. Their winning streak after the first eight matches turned into six consecutive victories which secured their spot in the playoffs. RCB met their elimination loss to Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the last playoff.
Last Competitive Match
Vidarbha played Siraj in their Ranji Trophy match where he secured four wickets throughout two innings in January. The victory of Team India at the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 occurred without his inclusion in the team.
