On the eve of the highly anticipated clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Gujarat Titans at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, the Bengaluru franchise shared a heartfelt video featuring Mohammed Siraj and Virat Kohli. It will be RCB‘s first match at their home venue.
Siraj, a former RCB player, was seen exchanging warm hugs with his former teammate Virat Kohli and other RCB coaching staff. The 30-year-old was part of the RCB franchise for seven years before being acquired by the Titans for a substantial Rs 12.25 crore at the IPL mega auction last year.
Siraj played 87 matches for RCB, claiming 83 wickets at an average of 31.45, with best bowling figures of 4/21.
During a recent interview, the speedster acknowledged the pivotal role Virat Kohli played in his career.
“To be honest, Virat Kohli has had a huge hand in my career,” he told ANI. “He backed me during my difficult times – 2018 and 2019 – he supported me, he even retained me, and after that, my performance and trajectory improved. He has been very supportive.
“It has been very emotional for me to leave RCB. Let’s see what happens when I play against RCB.”
The Titans have had a mixed start to their campaign. After a heartbreaking 11-run loss to Punjab Kings in their opener, they recovered to defeat Mumbai Indians by 36 runs in Ahmedabad over the weekend.
Meanwhile, a revamped RCB, under their new captain Rajat Patidar, have made a strong start to their campaign. They convincingly defeated defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders by seven-wickets on the opening day and followed it with a resounding 50-run victory over Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk, their first win at the venue since the tournament’s inception.
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