India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj reported for duty in his role as Telangana Police Deputy Superintendent of Police on Monday. Pictures of Siraj posing with Director General of Police (DGP) CV Anand went viral on social media, with Siraj clothed in full police uniform.
On Tuesday, CV Anand recalled watching Siraj's journey from his early days in Hyderabad cricket to becoming one of India's premier fast bowlers.
"Mohammed Siraj, Indian cricketer from Hyderabad and DSP in the Telangana Police, called on me as per protocol. I have seen him right from the time he was playing tennis ball cricket and in the year 2013-14, Abdul Azeem, the ex-cricketer from Hyderabad and the selector then, had asked me to come and see his talent," Anand wrote in a post on X.
Siraj was appointed as DSP and took charge in October 2024. It came after Siraj's contributions to Indian cricket, being part of the 2024 T20 World Cup winning squad. The fast bowler was honoured alongside Nikhat Zareen in appreciation of their outstanding performance in their respective sports
The 32-year-old was not included in India's ongoing tour of England and Ireland after the BCCI Medical Team and team management advised him to undergo a period of rest as part of his workload management programme.
Since making his international debut in a T20I against New Zealand on November 4, 2017, Siraj has established himself as one of India's leading fast bowlers across formats. He has claimed 233 international wickets, including 140 in Tests, 76 in ODIs and 17 in T20Is.
Among his career highlights are his match-winning 6/21 in the 2023 Asia Cup final, where he became the first Indian to take four wickets in a single over in international cricket, and his pivotal role in India's memorable 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy triumph in Australia.
Siraj, who currently represents Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League after previously playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad, has taken 128 wickets in 125 IPL matches. He also reached the No. 1 spot in the ICC ODI bowling rankings in January 2023.
