One Call, One Night, One Magical Spell: Mohammed Siraj’s 24-

One Call, One Night, One Magical Spell: Mohammed Siraj’s 24-Hour Turnaround

Mohammed Siraj thought his next few weeks were sorted.

He had just finished leading Hyderabad in back-to-back Ranji Trophy matches. Since the team didn’t qualify for the knockouts, Siraj finally had time to breathe. He planned a short trip to Madrid to watch Real Madrid play Real Sociedad, then spend Ramzan quietly with his family before the IPL began.

Then his phone buzzed.

“Miyan bag pack karke aaja (pack your bags and come),” read the message from India’s T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav.

Siraj laughed it off at first. He thought it was a joke. But when Surya repeated that he wasn’t joking and that Siraj was needed for the T20 World Cup, everything changed.

Within hours, Siraj packed his bags, boarded a flight, and joined the Indian team at 3am in Mumbai on the opening day of the World Cup. He did a quick check on the opposition, grabbed some sleep, and woke up to another message — he would be playing straight away against the USA.

Siraj hadn’t played a T20I since July 2024, just after India won the previous T20 World Cup. But when he took the new ball on Saturday, it didn’t look like he had been away at all.

Along with Arshdeep Singh, Siraj ripped through the USA top order. Two wickets in his opening spell reduced them to 13 for 3 and gave India complete control while defending 161.

“God changed my destiny in 24 hours,” an emotional Siraj said after India’s 29-run win. He revealed that just a day earlier, he had told India’s trainer not to message him because he was exhausted after two four-day matches.

Siraj’s return also came with a bit of luck. Jasprit Bumrah was unwell and missed training on the eve of the match. With India opting to play two fast bowlers, Siraj became the obvious partner for Arshdeep.

On a tricky, two-paced pitch, Siraj adjusted quickly. After being hit for six off his second ball, he shortened his length, bowled wicket-to-wicket, and trusted the seam. Andries Gous and Saiteja Mukkamalla both fell to mistimed shots as Siraj made the ball nip just enough.

“Coming straight from Ranji Trophy helped,” Siraj explained. “The ball wasn’t coming nicely onto the bat, so I stuck to my lengths and bowled straight. The plan worked.”

Despite being out of the T20 side for months, Siraj hadn’t changed much — not even the wallpaper on his phone. It still shows Cristiano Ronaldo with the word BELIEVE. The same belief that carried him through tough spells in Test cricket was there again.

“You have to be mentally ready for a World Cup,” Siraj said. “I’ve been around this team for many years now. I know what mindset works for me, so I just stuck to it.”

Late-night call-ups aren’t new for Siraj. Earlier this season, he was suddenly summoned by Hyderabad during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy after four years away from the tournament. He flew overnight and delivered match-winning figures the very next day.

Against the USA, Siraj even took the final wicket to seal the game, as the crowd chanted “DSP, DSP” while he bowled.

The only downside?

He’ll probably have to watch that Real Madrid match from his hotel room instead.

But something tells you Siraj won’t mind that at all.