Rohit Sharma heaps praise on India’s pacer, describing him as a “Rare Talent”

Rohit Sharma, the captain of India’s cricket team, referred to fast bowler Mohammed Siraj as a “unique talent” on Sunday, after the spinner guided his team to a record-setting 317-run victory over Sri Lanka in the third one-day international.

After India had produced a score of 390-5 with Virat Kohli hammering an unbeaten 166 in Thiruvananthapuram, the tourists were bowled out for 73 in 22 overs with the assistance of Siraj, who returned figures of 4-32.

India achieved the greatest victory in the history of One-Day International matches by surpassing New Zealand’s 290-run thumping of Ireland in 2008.

Rohit stated that Siraj’s composure with the white ball has helped to improve India’s pace attack, which was lacking due to the fact that injured quick Jasprit Bumrah was pulled from the squad.

After India’s 3-0 victory in the series, Rohit commented on Siraj’s talent, saying that “the way he was swinging the ball, he is a rare talent.”

“It is encouraging to observe how far he has progressed over the past few years. Since his debut, he has gone from strength to strength, which is incredibly beneficial for Indian cricket.”

Siraj, who is now 28 years old and made his debut for India in an international T20 match in 2017, stated that a poor season in the Indian Premier League motivated him to improve his performance in games played with white balls.

“When one of my IPL seasons went poorly, then I worked on my white-ball game,” said Siraj, who took nine wickets in three matches. Siraj was speaking about his success in the Indian Premier League.

“I only needed one or two performances to start feeling more confident, and I’ve continued to build on that. At first, I was concerned about how well I would do, but then I realised that regardless of how good I did, I still needed to play each of my balls effectively.”

He added: “Taking wickets with the new ball was a crucial part of the strategy. When you get early wickets, the opposing team is put in a disadvantageous situation.”

Siraj expressed excitement at the opportunity to bowl in his birthplace of Hyderabad, which is also the location of the first one-day international match that India will play against New Zealand on Wednesday.

Kohli distinguished himself by scoring a century for the third time in the past four One-Day Internationals he played in. He also put on significant partnerships, including a second-wicket stand of 131 runs with Shubman Gill, who made 116.

However, the former skipper, who scored his 46th century in one-day international competition, lauded Siraj for his performance with the new ball.

“The way Siraj has come in and done with the new ball has been wonderful,” added Kohli. “The way Siraj has done with the new ball has been fantastic.”

“During the powerplay, which had been a problem in the past, he has been picking up wickets. It is a really encouraging omen for us as we prepare to compete in the World Cup.”