Mohammed Siraj recounts how late father could only afford Rs 60 for RCB pacer’s training

Mohammed Siraj was retained by Indian Premier League (IPL) side Royal Challengers Bangalore along with Australia’s Glenn Maxwell and former captain Virat Kohli ahead of the 2022 mega auction.

Team India and Royal Challengers Bangalore pace bowler Mohammed Siraj has said that hardships were routine when he was in his formative years as a cricketer, adding that his father was an auto driver who could only afford to give him Rs 60 a day to go and train at the Uppal Stadium in Hyderabad.

Siraj, who was retained by Indian Premier League (IPL) side Royal Challengers Bangalore along with Australia’s Glenn Maxwell and former captain Virat Kohli ahead of the mega auction, said in an RCB podcast on Friday that the IPL had given him fame and taught him the ‘ways to be in social circles’.

“I only had struggles, my dad used to drive an auto; I only had a Platina (motorcycle). Dad used to give me 60 rupees for petrol. I would manage with that to reach Uppal Stadium, which was quite far from my house,” said Siraj.