From Bernabeu to the Big Stage: How Mohammad Siraj's Plans Changed Overnight
Mohammad Siraj was unexpectedly called into the T20 World Cup after an injury, replacing a planned trip to Madrid.
- Mohammad Siraj was called up last minute for India's T20 World Cup opener after Harshit Rana's injury
- Siraj took 3 wickets for 29 runs, delivering early impact and control at the death
- Siraj had not expected to play in the tournament and was initially planning to attend a Real Madrid match
Mohammad Siraj wasn't supposed to be here. Not in this T20 World Cup. Not on this opening night. Just a day earlier, his calendar had pointed somewhere else entirely - Madrid, specifically. Siraj had tickets lined up for Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad at the Santiago Bernabeu, a rare chance to switch off after a long domestic grind. Ramzan was around the corner. Family time was pencilled in. Cricket, for once, wasn't. Then Harshit Rana was injured. And destiny intervened.
Barely 24 hours later, Siraj found himself on a flight, summoned by Suryakumar Yadav with a call that initially felt like a prank. "Don't make fun of me," Siraj told his captain. But it wasn't a joke. Suddenly, he was back in India colours, walking into a World Cup match he never imagined he'd play.
"It felt like a dream," Siraj admitted later. He had already made peace with missing this tournament. After not featuring in T20s for a while, he assumed the door had closed. "But God changed my destiny," he said, describing how he'd been at home with family when the call arrived.
Thrown straight into the XI vs US in the opening match of the T20 World Cup, Siraj delivered what India needed most: early impact and late control. His figures - 3 for 29 - don't fully capture his influence. While Suryakumar took Player of the Match honours, it was Siraj who landed the first punches with the new ball and returned at the death to finish the job.
"New ball, wicket to wicket," he explained. The same plan he's carried across formats - hit the deck hard, attack the stumps, trust the process. He'd gone to sleep the night before with that exact approach in mind. Stick to his weapon. Let execution take care of the rest.
His phone wallpaper still reads BELIEF - a quiet reminder of where he's come from and what keeps him grounded. For Siraj, preparation is less about drills and more about mindset. Ten years in Indian cricket has taught him how to be ready when chaos calls.
The emotional rush was inevitable. World Cups carry a different weight. But Siraj channelled it into discipline, focusing on pressure points rather than personal moments.
A planned night at the Bernabeu became a night under floodlights instead. Football tickets were replaced by a match ball. Rest days gave way to a sudden recall.
Siraj shrugged it off simply- "Whatever God has written will happen."
On this night, it was written in seam, swing, and three priceless wickets.
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