"Most improved bowler in current time" - Fans shower praise on Mohammed Siraj as he continues to shine for India in ODIs

Team India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj bowled a stellar spell with the new ball in the second ODI against Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday, January 12.

Siraj once again provided the Men in Blue with the first breakthrough, dismissing Avishka Fernando in the sixth over. It was a length delivery just outside the off-stump. Avishka tried to play through the line only to find the inside edge before it crashed onto the stumps.

Several fans took to social media, lauding Siraj for his exceptional spell early in the encounter. Many reckoned that he is the most improved fast bowler in recent times.

Many, on the other hand, believe that the Hyderabad-born pacer should be a part of India's squad for the ODI World Cup on home soil later this year.

Siraj's spell with the new ball set the tone for the Men in Blue. At the time of writing, the Lankan were reeling at 191/8 in 36.3 overs. Kuldeep Yadav also starred with the ball for the hosts, picking up three wickets upon his return to the side.

Siraj, meanwhile, has been exceptionally good since the start of 2022. He was India's highest wicket-taker in ODIs last year, picking up 24 scalps in 15 games at an average of 23.50. He was equally economical at the start and at the death, conceding runs at a rate of 4.62.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) fast bowler also had a good outing in the first game of the series, returning with figures of 2/30 in seven overs, including a maiden.

Mohammed Siraj makes massive gains in ICC ODI Rankings

Mohammed Siraj was recently rewarded for his consistent performances in the 50-over format. He made massive gains in the recently released ICC ODI Rankings for bowlers.

He jumped four spots to occupy the 18th spot with 605 points under his name. Trent Boult continues to be the top-ranked ODI bowler, followed by the Australian duo of Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc.

About the author

Ankush is a cricket journalist at Sportskeeda covering news, listicles, features, and exclusives. A graduate in Commerce and an accountant by qualification, Ankush followed his true calling for sports journalism, and today, has over 8 years of experience having working for the likes of Sportzwiki and Cricfit. Ankush places a very high emphasis on factual accuracy in his articles and believes in representing the true image of the story. Writing in the simplest and most easy-to-understand language possible, especially for those not well-versed with English, is one of his strengths.

Ankush, who captained his state in the National School games, is a big fan of Ravichandran Ashwin. He admires his unconventional thinking and his eagerness to keep learning despite being a legend of the game. His favorite cricket team is Australia because of their mentality and fighting spirit, and them beating India in the 2003 World Cup final left a lasting impression on him.

Apart from watching and covering cricket, Ankush also likes to read books whenever possible.

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