My dream is to be the highest wicket-taker for India: Siraj

India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj says he dreams of becoming the highest wicket-taker for his country. Siraj made his Test debut in the Boxing Day Test against Australia in Melbourne in 2020. He ended the series as India's highest wicket-taker. The pacer is all set to lead the attack for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, which kick starts on April 9 as the Virat Kohli-led side take on defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) in Chennai.

"Jasprit Bumrah used to stand beside me whenever I was bowling. He told me to stick to the basics and not do something extra. It's great learning to talk to such an experienced player. I even played with Ishant Sharma, he has played 100 Tests. It felt good to share the dressing room with him. My dream is to be the highest wicket-taker for India and I will work hard whenever I get an opportunity," Siraj said in a video posted on RCB's Twitter handle.

During the tour of Australia, Siraj lost his father, but he continued to stay on in order to fulfill his father's dream of seeing him play for India. "During Australia tour, I was in quarantine and when we came back from practice, I got to know my father passed away. Unfortunately, no one could come to my room. I called home and my fiance, mother were very supportive and they told me that I need to fulfill my father's dream of seeing me play for India," said Siraj.

Speaking of his relationship with India bowling coach Bharat Arun, Siraj said, "Arun sir treats me like a son. When I talk to him, it boosts my confidence. When he was in Hyderabad, he always told me to focus on line and length. I want to play all three formats for India. Whatever opportunities I get, I want to give my 100 per cent and grab them with both hands. There is a series against England after the IPL, I will give my best."

The India pacer admits that he was low on confidence in IPL 2020, but his three-wicket haul against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) helped turn things around. "Last year, when I joined RCB, I was low on confidence. But when I started bowling with the new ball, I was also bowling on a single wicket, which helped me a lot. And then the performance against KKR gave me a lot of confidence. The team culture here is so nice that everyone used to get together and discuss stuff like Virat does."

In fact, 2020 was Siraj's most prolific season, having picked up 11 wickets at 27.79. Having done well in Tests for India, Siraj will hope to carry that confidence into IPL 2021.

Image Courtesy: BCCI