Under Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah became a menacing threat with the new ball, while Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma found their rhythm. Umesh Yadav turned a corner too whereas Indian cricket witnessed the rise of Mohammed Siraj in 2021. Furthermore, Kohli’s backing for his fast bowlers was just the tonic they needed. He stood up for them in their worst, an example of which was explained by Siraj after he endured a woeful run in the IPL four years ago.
“In 2018 I had my worst year in terms of performance for RCB. Had it been any other franchise, I would have probably been released. Any other team would have dropped me but Virat showed support and retained me. The entire credit goes to Virat bhai. Whatever I am today – the confidence in my bowling and everything – it wouldn’t have been possible without Virat.”
Siraj picked up 11 wickets in IPL 2018, but ended up conceding 367 runs at an economy of 8.95. 2017 was even worse, as Siraj got hit for 212 runs in just six matches. However, all that backing paid dividends for Kohli, Siraj and RCB as in IPL 2020, the pacer produced a miserly spell of 3/8 against Kolkata Knight Riders, which led to his Test debut for India a couple of months later.
“A captain like him is very important for bowlers. Virat’s energy on the field is such that if a fast bowler is seeking energy to bowl, he just needs to look at him. Even if a bowler’s energy level drops, all he needs to do is just look at Virat Kohli and the way he marshals his troops. It will come back. He is very different and unique,” Siraj added.
