"Kya ismaart dikhre yaar tum" - Mohammed Siraj receives special wishes as he turns 30

Team India opener Mohammed Siraj has received special birthday wishes on social media as he turned 30 on Wednesday (March 13). He was last seen on the field last Saturday during the fifth Test between India and England in Dharamshala. The hosts won the match clinically by an innings and 64 runs to seal the five-match series by a 4-1 margin.

Siraj did not have much work to do in the series, as the spinners and Jasprit Bumrah were enough to handle the English batters on most occasions. The Hyderabadi pacer was up and ready when the team required his services during England's first innings in the third Test in Rajkot, with Ashwin returning to Chennai midway through the match due to a personal emergency.

Siraj rose to the occasion and took the onus of bowling a long spell as India were a bowler short. He extracted reverse swing expertly and troubled the English batters, ending up with a four-wicket haul. His spell was crucial in India securing a handy lead, which eventually helped them register a gigantic 434-run victory.

After the conclusion of the Test series, Mohammed Siraj is currently on a mini break. He will soon join the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) camp to commence preparations for IPL 2024.

On the occasion of his 30th birthday on Wednesday, members of the cricket fraternity and fans were quick to wish Siraj on social media. His Indian teammate and close friend Axar Patel led the way with a special post on Instagram, which read:

"Kya ismaart dikhre yaar tum ☺️ Ekdum kiraak , dua ki ___ Happy birthday @mohammedsirajofficial ❤️❤️🫡🎂🎂🎂

Here are some of the other wishes from social media:

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"I have had my share of struggles and that's why I am here" - Mohammed Siraj

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a special video on their social media handles today showcasing the journey of Mohammed Siraj on the occasion of his birthday. Reminiscing about his early struggles in the video, Siraj said:

"When I was about 18 years of age, I used to go for the catering job. Family used to urge me to focus on my studies but I always wanted to play cricket. We used to live on rent and dad was the lone earner in the family. So I used to work even though I didn't know much about it."

He continued:

"I used to get 100-200 rupees out of which 150 I would give at home and keep 50 for personal expenses. Those times..(gets emotional) you touched a sensitive topic (smiles). My hands used to burn when I used to try and turn the rumali rotis. I have had my share of struggles and that's why I am here."

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