"Virat Kohli Taught Me To Treat Opponents As Enemies": Mohammed Siraj

There was no Virat Kohli on India's tour of England but the vibrant energy that cricket fans usually see in him was visible in Mohammed Siraj. The pacer, who has worked with Virat both in the Indian team and at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for years, clearly carried a similar aggression on the field against Ben Stokes' England. When asked about the reason behind this energy, Siraj said that he learned this from Kohli, who taught him to treat opponents like enemies on the field and friends off it.

"I've learned this one particular thing from Virat Kohli, and that is his fighting approach in the game. Off the field, he would be talking very nicely, but on the ground, the opposition is the enemy for him. I like this thing about him. And my bowling comes from aggression.

"If I do not show that on ground, I won't be able bowl well. I have been with Virat Kohli in RCB (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) and have had a good bonding with him. Fast bowlers should have aggression on field, and Virat Kohli has more aggression on field than bowlers," Sirat told RevSportz in an interview.

Siraj engaged in multiple on-field battles with England players, some of which also saw him being reprimanded by the International Cricket Council (ICC). It isn't just the art of getting into the opponent players' nerves that Siraj has learned from Kohli but also using the crowd's support to energise oneself.

"In that last Test at The Oval, when Brook and Root were having a good partnership, we had a bit of a shoulder-dropping moment. But then, I encouraged everyone and we went ahead to get the upper hand in the form of the wicket of Root. I have also learned to take crowd support from Virat. Support of the crowd, for a bowler, can make a big difference and get the bowler flying with confidence," Siraj asserted.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Mohammed Siraj Virat Kohli Cricket