How did Mohammed Siraj know about his inclusion in India squad for the T20 World Cup 2026?

Mohammed Siraj was added to the Indian side for the T20 World Cup 2026 after Harshit Rana was ruled out of the tournament.

Mohammed Siraj’s return to India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad is a story scripted by destiny, disbelief, and sheer perseverance. When the Indian selectors named Siraj as a replacement for the injured Harshit Rana, the pacer was nowhere near thinking about international cricket.

In fact, his bags were almost packed for Spain. Siraj was preparing to travel to Madrid to watch the Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad La Liga clash when his phone rang. What followed was a conversation Siraj initially thought was nothing more than friendly banter.

A late-night call from Suryakumar Yadav— how Mohammed Siraj discovered his India recall after Harshit Rana’s injury

“Two days ago Surya bhai said: “Miyaan bags pack kaar aur aaja (Pack your bags and come (to Mumbai)). I told him “Bhai mazaak mat karo kyon ki yeh to honewala hain nahi (Brother please don’t joke as this won’t happen). But he said ‘mai sach keh raha hoon, ready ho ja’ (I am telling you the truth, get ready).”

Still unconvinced, Siraj brushed it off. Only when Indian selector Pragyan Ojha called him shortly after did reality finally sink in. Speaking after India’s opening T20 World Cup match, Mohammed Siraj recalled the moment with emotion.

“Then (Indian selector Pragyan) Ojha bhai called me… Whatever the almighty has written, no one can change that,” Siraj said.

The timing made the call-up even more surreal. Siraj revealed that he had already booked his Madrid trip and was planning to observe Ramzan thereafter.

“There is a Real Madrid game on 15th and I was going to watch it and after that Ramzan, but whatever the almighty has written…”

Despite missing out on the initial squad, Mohammed Siraj never stopped working. He was grinding it out in domestic cricket, playing back-to-back four-day games. When India’s strength and conditioning coach Adrian Le Roux messaged him asking about his plans, Siraj’s response reflected his exhaustion and honesty.

“’Don’t message me right now because I have played two four-day games and I need rest. I will see after this what the plan is. It was feeling like a dream when I was on the flight, because I had not thought about playing in the World Cup.”

As Mohammed Siraj boarded the flight to Mumbai, the magnitude of the moment finally hit him. Having not featured in T20Is for a long period, Siraj had already made peace with missing the marquee event.

“The planning was going on for the last one year… and since I had not played T20Is, I had understood that I won’t be a part of it.”

From disbelief to destiny, Mohammed Siraj’s World Cup recall is a reminder that persistence always finds its moment.

He had his moment when he stepped the field for India’s tournament opener against USA. The fast bowler made the ball talk and picked three wickets, helping his side win by 29 runs.

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