Mohammed Siraj Laments Lack of Bowler Support in Modern T20 Cricket
Royal Challengers Bangalore pacer Mohammed Siraj has expressed his frustration over the lack of assistance for bowlers in contemporary T20 cricket. He attributes the proliferation of 250-plus totals to smaller grounds and flat pitches.
“Nowadays, 250-260 is scored in every second match,” Siraj remarked after RCB’s successful chase of Gujarat Titans’ 201-run target. “Earlier, 250 was a rare occurrence.”
Siraj emphasized the challenges faced by bowlers due to the absence of swing and the prevalence of flat wickets. “There is no help for bowlers,” he said. “Bowlers can just keep playing and keep getting hit.”
The ongoing IPL has witnessed a surge in high-scoring matches, with the 250-run mark being breached eight times. Teams have adopted an aggressive approach, utilizing the ‘Impact player’ rule and exploiting the favorable batting conditions.
Despite the adversity, Siraj remains determined to maintain his self-belief. “As a bowler, you have to keep the self-belief,” he said. “I have seen lots of ups and downs in life, so I don’t give up if 1-2 matches don’t go my way.”
Siraj acknowledged the role of luck in T20 cricket but stressed the importance of minimizing errors. “T20 is all about luck,” he said. “I keep working on my flaws during training.”
Meanwhile, Gujarat Titans’ Sai Sudharsan admitted that his team needs to win all remaining matches to qualify for the playoffs. “Winning all the games is the only possibility which we can see,” he said.
Sudharsan praised the RCB batters for their clinical chase, attributing it to the improved pitch conditions. “The wicket got a little better under the lights,” he said.
