Harbhajan Singh, the former Indian off-spinner and World Cup winner suggests that Mohammed Siraj could benefit from a brief hiatus from cricket. Harbhajan believes Siraj has been consistently playing a heavy schedule for an extended period and could use some time off to recharge.
Harbhajan Singh recently shared his thoughts on Mohammed Siraj’s struggles in the ongoing 2024 Indian Premier League. Mohammed Siraj, leading the RCB bowling attack, had another tough outing as they faced defeat against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede stadium.
The right-arm pacer, along with his teammates, found it challenging to contain Mumbai’s aggressive batting approach. Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma set the tone with a blistering 101-run partnership for the first wicket. Kishan’s explosive 69 off 34 balls and Rohit’s brisk 38 got Mumbai off to a flying start.
However, the situation worsened for RCB after Rohit’s dismissal. Suryakumar Yadav, batting at number 3 and playing only his second game post-injury, wreaked havoc on the RCB bowlers. Whether it was Siraj, Reece Topley, or Akash Deep, Suryakumar punished them all, reaching his fifty in just 15 balls. Eventually, Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma comfortably guided Mumbai Indians to a seven-wicket victory.
Reflecting on Siraj’s performance, Harbhajan Singh empathized with the bowler, acknowledging the toll such experiences can take, both physically and mentally. Drawing from his playing days, Harbhajan emphasized the importance for a bowler to step back and regroup during challenging times.
“I think he is too tired. He is not there mentally, physically also. He needs to take rest. He has been playing a lot of cricket. He played 4 Tests against England. He bowls a lot of overs.”
“He looks very tired, physically and mentally. With this kind of hammering (vs MI), it’s hard for any bowler to wake up next day and feel alright. I have gone through these kind of situations. You have to give yourself a bit of time, think about your game and relax a bit. I am sure Siraj will come back strong,” Harbhajan Singh said via Star Sports.
Harbhajan Singh expressed his view that had he been part of the team management, he would have advised Mohammed Siraj to take a few days off without hesitation.
“If I was part of the management, I would give him rest for a couple of games. Let him go back and think about what’s been happening with him. He has been the same Siraj whom we have seen taking wickets with the new ball. He has been a champion bowler for Team India and even for RCB,” the former Indian spinner concluded.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru find themselves at the bottom of the points table, having only clinched one victory out of six matches played so far. While they kicked off the season with a win against PBKS, they struggled to maintain their form and suffered four consecutive losses. Their next challenge awaits them on April 15th when they go head-to-head with Sunrisers Hyderabad at their home ground.
