From holiday plans to heroics: Mohammed Siraj's unexpected World Cup night

Mohammed Siraj had lined up a holiday in Germany and a trip to Spain to watch Real Madrid. When a call came from the Indian team trainer, he pleaded not to be disturbed. Mumbai was not on his itinerary until Friday night. Twenty-four hours later, he emerged as the star of India's win over the USA.

"Then suddenly, skipper Suryakumar Yadav called me. He said, 'Get ready, pack your bag, and come.' I said, 'Surya bhai, don't joke.' He said, 'I'm telling you the truth.' As soon as he hung up, I got a call from national selector Pragyan Ojha. So suddenly, I got shocking news."

Siraj had little time to pack and catch a flight to Mumbai, joining the team as an injury replacement for Harshit Rana. "No one can change what God has written. I came, played the match—everything was written."

Drafted straight into the playing XI, he produced a fine spell with the new ball, providing seminal breakthroughs as India defended a modest total of 161. The USA were 11 for two and then 13 for three, with the match effectively decided in the first four overs. Siraj finished with three for 29, including a wicket off the last ball to add to two vital PowerPlay scalps.

Siraj had not played a T20I in 18 months, his last appearance being in July 2024. He had reconciled himself to missing the World Cup and told the team trainer he needed a break after captaining Hyderabad in the Ranji Trophy. Later, he said, "God changed my destiny."

His comeback is the stuff of fairy tales. He joined the squad at short notice and played with little preparation, as spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was indisposed. Siraj is known to shine outside Bumrah's shadow, and he lived up to that by taking wickets in his first two overs on his T20I return.

The 18-month hiatus was no impediment. "I've been playing for India for almost 10 years, so when you get a chance, you know how to prepare. I know how to get ready in this format and how to set my mindset. Even when I slept last night, I just thought I would stick to the same weapon that has given me success.

"I bowled the same line and length that I was bowling in the Ranji Trophy. When we were batting, I felt the new ball wasn't easy to hit. So my plan was to stick to the new ball, bowl wicket to wicket, and if I could get a wicket there, it would help the team a lot."

Siraj praised new-ball partner Arshdeep Singh, with whom he bowled all six PowerPlay overs. "The execution was very good, especially from Arshdeep. He bowled three overs that created a lot of pressure, and because of that, we got this result." Arshdeep finished with two for 18.