Mohammed Siraj opens up on bowling Virat Kohli in IPL 2025, says he is excited for the challenge

Gujarat Titans fast bowler Mohammed Siraj is looking forward to the challenge of bowling to former Royal Challengers Bengaluru teammate, Virat Kohli. Siraj played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru for seven years after joining the franchise in 2018. 

The fast bowler from Hyderabad played 87 matches for RCB in which he scalped 83 wickets. However, the pacer was not retained by the franchise before the IPL 2025 mega auction and he was bagged for a whopping amount of INR 12.25 crore by Gujarat Titans.

Siraj was recently not picked for the Champions Trophy despite Jasprit Bumrah’s absence and he would be determined to prove his mettle in the upcoming IPL 2025.

“When we play for the Indian team, I have bowled a lot against him in the nets, and now, for the first time, I will be playing against him in a match. So, it will be fun, and I am very excited,” Siraj told Revsportz.

On the other hand, Siraj is looking forward to playing at the big ground of Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.

“I am feeling very good. As a bowler, it is a very big ground, and the environment is also very good. There is a lot of freedom, and it is great to have such a big ground as a fast bowler. There are plenty of chances to get a wicket. I am looking forward to this year, and I am very excited,” he expressed.

Siraj said they would be able to execute their plans better on a big ground as bowling in Chinnaswamy used to be a challenge for him.

“It will be crucial. In Bengaluru, the top edge often goes for a six, but here, the ground is big, so there are more chances to take wickets. We can use short balls and execute our plans better because of the bigger ground,” he said.

Gujarat Titans will begin their IPL 2025 campaign against Punjab Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Tuesday.