3 best spells by Mohammed Siraj in IPL

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) defeated the Punjab Kings (PBKS) by 24 runs in their latest match of the 2023 IPL, at Mohali on Thursday, April 20. With this win, RCB climbed to the 5th spot in the league while PBKS slipped to 7th.

Mohammed Siraj (4-0-21-4) was the star with the ball for RCB as his impeccable bowling effort led RCB to a win and him to the top of the Purple Cap race.

Batting first, RCB posted a competitive total of 174/4 at the end of 20 overs on a two-paced wicket. The RCB batting effort was led by the duo of Virat Kohli (59 runs off 47 balls) and Faf du Plessis (84 runs off 56 balls), who put on an opening stand of 137.

However, the following batters could not capitalize on the start and could not provide the necessary fireworks in the end.

Siraj was on fire against Punjab Kings [Image: IPL]

In reply, PBKS were off to an awful start as they were reduced to 43/4 in 5.3 overs. They were kept in the game by Jitesh Sharma (41 runs off 27 balls) and Prabhsimran Singh (46 runs off 30 balls), but failed to find support from any of the other batters. Eventually, they were bowled out for 150 in 18.2 overs.

Mohammed Siraj showed his quality once again. His brilliant performance gives us a great opportunity to look back at the top 3 spells bowled by the Hyderabad-based pacer in his IPL career.

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#1 RCB vs KKR, IPL 2020 (4-2-8-3)

Mohammed Siraj had been trolled enormously over the years for his performances for RCB, but this game marked the beginning of the rise of the pacer.

Siraj broke the back of the KKR batting line-up, by dismissing the likes of Tom Banton, Nitish Rana, and Rahul Tripathi. He gave away just eight runs in his four overs, at an astonishing economy rate of 2.00.

Additionally, he bowled two maidens, which is a rarity in T20 cricket. His spell helped RCB reduce KKR to 84/8 at the end of 20 overs.

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#2 RCB vs LSG, IPL 2023 (4-0-22-3)

Earlier this season, Mohammed Siraj proved his mettle for RCB yet again, albeit in a losing cause. On a day when both LSG and RCB conceded more than 210 runs, Siraj emerged as the star for RCB.

The struggle of all RCB bowlers was evident as LSG ended up chasing a total of 213 runs in their 20 overs. Siraj seemed to make things happen on a flat Chinnaswamy wicket.

In his spell, he picked up the wickets of three world-class batters, namely KL Rahul, Nicholas Pooran, and Kyle Mayers. His efforts kept RCB in the game till the final delivery.

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#3 RCB vs PBKS, IPL 2023 (4-0-21-4)

Mohammed Siraj receiving an award after the game against PBKS [Image: IPL]

Mohammed Siraj won the Player of the Match award in the latest game for his exceptional spell of fast bowling.

Siraj breathed fire as he dismissed four PBKS batters, including Liam Livingstone and the in-form Prabhsimran Singh. In the 18th over, Siraj picked up two wickets to end any chances of a PBKS win.

The Hyderabad-based seamer was simply unplayable as he gave away just 21 runs in his four over, at an economy rate of 5.25. He was exceptional in the field too as he ran out Harpreet Singh Bhatia, courtesy of a direct hit.