Siraj says he is eager to bowl in New Zealand’s helpful conditions
Mohammed Siraj told The Hindu in Hyderabad on November 2, 2026 that he was excited to play in New Zealand because a fast bowler needs grass and bounce. “I am very excited to play in New Zealand because a fast bowler needs grass and bounce. It will be very challenging because there will be a lot of swing. My plan will be simple: enjoy the experience,” he said.
Siraj traced the arc of his career back to Hyderabad, noting that his run-up began there and took him to his India debut against New Zealand in November 2017, and now, nine years later, back to that country. The 32-year-old has taken on more senior responsibility, captaining Hyderabad in two Ranji Trophy matches that produced wins over Tripura and Andhra, and preparing with a final session at the Gymkhana under T. Dilip, the former India fielding coach.
Siraj has stressed that inactivity does not suit him and that match practice has been valuable. The two consecutive games for Hyderabad, although tiring, felt “more like a gift than a burden,” and the initial sessions were designed to reassure him about his established international method. “The first few sessions were about making him realise that he doesn’t need to do anything different as he has been successful at the international level. But when you have a long graph, there will be ups and downs. How you pick yourself up mentally is the most important,” Dilip told The Hindu.
Dilip, who is now Mumbai Indians’ fielding coach, said he encouraged Siraj to revisit past performances and to make small technical adjustments. “Siraj is generally someone who can bowl at 140kmph and has the ability to bowl long spells. We all know that he is a fighter where one odd error on the field or one odd bad over doesn’t affect him because he always comes back harder. I just made him realise those aspects as a quick recap is necessary. We just went through some of his spells from before and videos of a few previous performances to revisit what he had done and where he was mentally then. Besides that, we made little tweaks to his run-up and adjustments that will help him get back rhythm,” Dilip said.
When asked about individual milestones, Siraj emphasised collective aims and gratitude for his journey. “I’m not a believer in milestones. It’s all about collecting wins and memories as a team. “I had nothing at the beginning and I have everything now. I have a fan following. I thank the almighty who has brought me here. My only thought is to keep myself grounded, keep working hard and keep winning matches for my country,” said the 32-year-old.
Siraj has begun making an impact on New Zealand soil, having scalped four wickets for India-A in the second ‘Test’ against New Zealand-A. It augurs well for the pacer as well as India.
