When Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi led India in the pre-Independence era—or when his son, Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, captained the team to memorable highs in later years—few, if any, would have viewed their achievements through the lens of religion. Even when Mohammad Azharuddin led India to two Asia Cup victories in the 1990s, only a minority may have been conscious of his Muslim identity.

But yesterday, as Mohammad Siraj scripted a historic win at The Oval, powering India to a thrilling victory in the fifth Test against England, his identity as an Indian Muslim demands recognition and even celebration, not as a token, but as a reaffirmation of the Idea of India.

Now I hear loud howls of protest against “bringing religion into the innocent world of sport.” But where were these guardians of sporting purity when the Hyderabadi seamer was routinely trolled—not for his line or length, but for his faith? Where was this moral righteousness when he was targeted with slurs and suspicion simply because of his name? Siraj, who snatched victory from the jaws of defeat to help secure one of India’s narrowest-ever Test wins, reminds the ruling establishment, its ideological supporters, and a growing section of the public that they are pathetically misguided in their attempts to marginalise and vilify an entire community. Siraj's triumph, then, is not just about cricket. It is a resounding response to bigotry, and a moment to reclaim a pluralistic and inclusive India. His teammate, Muhammad Shami, also had similar experiences. Not very different from the racist slur and body-shaming comments that Temba Bavuma, South Africa’s first black captain, encountered often in his career.

At the post-match media meet at The Oval, Siraj went emotional. “I was driven solely by the spirit of playing for India. I wanted to bring a smile to the face of 1.4 billion Indians”. Siraj was the highest wicket-taker in the drawn series (2-2) with a tally of 23 wickets to emerge as one of the best bowlers in the world. In the Oval test, the “lionheart” bowled 185.3 overs with the same unflinching consistency and a speed of 140 km per hour.

In February, when Siraj posted a picture of his Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca, the hate army showered him with choicest communal abuse. The picture on his social media platform showed Siraj attired in the traditional ihram in front of the Kaaba, captioned Alhamdulillah. (Praise be to God). Right-wing handles were quick to slap him with online slurs, calling him Katmulla. (circumscribed). However, Siraj's post amassed 1.8 million likes, far outnumbering the abuses.

In June 2024, when India won the ICC Cup, Siraj shared a picture of the team with the caption - Thank you Almighty Allah. His detractors responded angrily, commenting, “If Allah were to do this, Pakistan would have won and not India”. In May, Siraj had to delete his post, “All eyes on Rafah”, expressing solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza after he was called a Hamas supporter and terrorist.

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Fans offer sweets to a poster of Mohammed Siraj as they celebrate the Indian cricket team's victory against England in the 5th test match of Anderson-Tendulkar Series held at Kennington Oval stadium in London

Even when Siraj helped India win the Asia Cup in September 2023 with a magnificent spell (6 for 21) against Sri Lanka, online hate mobs lampooned him as having been trained as a bowler by stone-pelters.

Not just his religious identity, even his working-class background wasn't spared. Son of late Mohammad Ghouse, an auto rickshaw driver, he used to be asked on social media to go and drive an auto on occasions when he didn't perform well in matches. But the unfazed seamer, who is now a District Superintendent with the Telangana Police, hit back, saying he was only proud of his father, who, by labouring hard, took great care of the family.

During the Indian team's 2020-21 tour of Australia, held at the height of the COVID epidemic, Siraj was shattered by his father's death in Hyderabad. He broke down inconsolably. Yet, as a crucial player for the team, he decided not to discontinue and return home but play on for the nation, backed by the immense emotional support of his teammates like Captain Virat Kohli. India took that series (2-1) in style with Siraj, despite his tragedy, taking five wickets at Melbourne to help the country win the test, two at the drawn test in Sydney, and finally ravaging through the formidable Aussie batting lineup in the fourth test with a five-wicket haul.

Siraj's grit and determination have been well chronicled in a book penned by Boria Majumdar and Kushan Sarkar. “Siraj had lost his father during the statutory period of 14 days of hard quarantine in Australia in November. What this meant was that none of his teammates could even go to his room to give him a shoulder to cry on. At the time, there were cops outside every room just in case the Indians tried to violate protocol. They were being guarded as prisoners who could export Covid to Australia!... Siraj broke down on multiple occasions, which is only natural, but he never gave up. He was steadfast and resolute. He wanted to fulfil his father’s wish of doing his best for India, and when the opportunity came his way at the MCG on the huge occasion of the Boxing Day Test, he just did not want to let it go.” (‘Mission Domination: An Unfinished Quest’). From then on, whenever Siraj went for a match and also on his return, he prayed at his father's tomb. His mother, Shabna, never missed watching his matches. All along, she claps and cheers and, in between, undertakes the five daily prayers to seek blessings for her son.

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Mohammed Siraj, right, and Dhruv Jurel celebrate their win against England | AP

Siraj is no stranger to heartbreaks. At the beginning of this year, he was dropped from the Indian squad for the ICC Champions Trophy and the subsequent ODI series against England in February. The reason, according to Captain Rohit Sharma, was that Siraj was effective only with the new ball and went weak as the ball lost shine, unlike the three other seamers who were included, like Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami and Arshdeep Singh. Even when Bumrah was injured and unable to play, Siraj was overlooked for the rookie, Harshit Rana. Many observers questioned the exclusion of not just Siraj but of Sanju Samson too for that tournament. However, with this England campaign, Siraj has demolished the fallacy about his lack of effectiveness with the old ball, once and for all. He bowled his heart out in all five tests without faltering in speed or length until the last over on the 25th playing day, unmindful of whether the ball was new or old.

The Royal Challengers, Bengaluru, Siraj’s IPL team for seven years, for whom he took 15 wickets in 2024, found him unnecessary for this season. However, the Gujarat Titans, led by Shubman Gill, readily accepted him for Rs 12.25 crore for the 2025 season. It was Siraj's turn to prove his worth unambiguously. He put out his best-ever IPL performance by capturing 9 wickets in the first four matches and emerged as the second-highest wicket-taker in the IPL 2025.

Until recently, Siraj had remained under the shadow of his idol, Jasprit Bumrah. While Bumrah was widely hailed as the best, the highest praise Siraj typically received was the backhanded compliment: “He’s a hard worker.” Interestingly, Siraj often delivers his finest performances in Bumrah’s absence — almost as if a sense of added responsibility possesses him. Yet, he continues to reaffirm his admiration for his hero, once saying, “I only believed in Jassi bhai because he is the only game-changing bowler.”

But the Oval match may have finally marked a turning point. Siraj stepped beyond his long-held support role and emerged as a genuine match-winner — a hero in his own right.

 

Tailpiece: In 1733, it was the surrender of one Siraj (Nawab of Bengal, Siraj ud-Doula), betrayed by his own Commander, in the Battle of Plassey that marked the beginning of English hegemony in India for the next two centuries. Over three centuries later, another Siraj from India vanquishes the English in their bastion to hold aloft the Indian flag and pride in the cricket field.