I am Mohammed Shafi, I’m 25, and I work as a record assistant in Telangana state government’s revenue department.
You may not have heard of me, but I was there when most events that led up to Siraj’s five-wicket haul in Brisbane occurred.
I met Siraj at the Eidgah ground during a match played by neighbourhood kids. At the time, we used to play ‘tennis ball cricket’. There were tournaments for cricket matches played with a tennis ball between 2009 and 2015, both at the area and district levels. He used to be a star even back then.
In 2015, Siraj was later called to the nets at the Uppal stadium, where players prepare for Ranji Trophy matches. He worked himself to perfection during the Ranji season in 2016-17, during which he took 41 wickets in nine matches. But it was during the IPL’s 2017 season when I first saw him add a calm temperament to his bowling skills.
We were crouched on the sofa at my home when the IPL auctions just before the tournament in 2017 took place. He was…