Siraj Celebrates Bengaluru Homecoming With Record Performance Against RCB

Mohammed Siraj had come to Bengaluru with a point to prove after the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) parted ways with the Hyderabad pacer ahead of the mega auction for the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). He did precisely that against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, bowling his best-ever spell in Bengaluru in the tournament. 

Now, playing for the Gujarat Titans, Siraj was playing his first match at Chinnaswamy Stadium and had started on a great note by getting Phil Salt to edge to Jos Buttler on the fifth ball of the first over. But that catch was dropped. 

However, Siraj did well in his next over and cleaned up Devdutt Padikkal with a brilliant delivery that hit the top of off. When he came back to bowl his third over in the powerplay, Salt was there at the crease, and he got behind Siraj’s good length bowling and just took a few steps to smash him over deep mid-wicket for a massive 105-meter six that hit the stadium's roof. 

Siraj, to his credit, wasn’t flustered after being hit like that and bowled a fullish scrambled seam delivery that came in after pitching and crashed into Salt’s off-stump. The ex-RCB pacer roared in delight and celebrated in usual fashion as the Chinnaswamy crowd was stunned to see such two deliveries of such high intensity. 

Siraj bowled his first three overs in the powerplay itself, and reaped rewards for outstanding bowling on a wicket which had true bounce. He also mixed his lengths and kept the pace high, which made him hard to get away. When he returned back for his last over of the spell in the penultimate over of the innings, he conceded just four runs. 

Siraj ended with figures of 3/19 in his full quota of four overs, which is his best-ever spell at his former IPL home ground. RCB ended their innings on 169/7. 

Best spell for Mohammed Siraj in Bengaluru in IPL

3/19 vs RCB, 2025
3/22 vs LSG, 2023
2/23 vs DC, 2023
2/26 vs PBKS, 2024
2/28 vs MI, 2018