Mohammed Siraj was isolated in a ‘5-star jail’ hotel room after his father’s passing: ‘No one could visit, no shoulder to cry on’

 With India staring down defeat, Siraj stepped up when it mattered most, claiming five wickets in the second innings to help India pull off a dramatic six-run win over England. That win helped India level the five-match series, and it once again highlighted just how crucial Siraj has become to the Test side over the past few years.

But his rise hasn’t come without hardship.

Siraj made his Test debut during the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia — a series now remembered for India’s resilience. Just before the series began, tragedy struck. Siraj lost his father back home in Hyderabad. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Australia’s strict bio-bubble protocols, he couldn’t fly back to attend the funeral or be with his family.

Bharat Arun, who was India’s bowling coach at the time, recently opened up about those painful days. Speaking to the Bombay Sport Exchange, Arun recalled how Siraj was completely isolated in his hotel room, with no one allowed to visit him. Only the team manager was granted permission to check in on him.

“It felt like a five-star jail,” Arun said. “The manager was the only one who could go. He had to get special permission. None of us were allowed. We kept talking to Siraj on the phone and over WhatsApp video calls, but there’s no substitute for human connection. A shoulder to cry on would have meant the world to him at that time, but sadly, there wasn’t one.”

Despite the emotional turmoil, Siraj didn’t back down. Arun revealed that the team had offered him the option to return to India, but Siraj declined.

“He got on a video call, and we spoke to him,” Arun shared. “We asked him if he wanted to go back. Ravi Shastri felt it was so far away, and there wasn’t much that could be done. But Siraj said something that stayed with me — he told us it was his father’s dream to see him play Test cricket. He said, ‘I’ll stay.’ That kind of resolve was incredible.”

Siraj went on to play a key role in that historic series win. He took 13 wickets in just six innings, including a memorable five-wicket haul in the decisive final Test at the Gabba — a ground where Australia hadn’t lost in 32 years.

Siraj continues to lead from the front. In the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, he was India’s top wicket-taker, finishing with 23 scalps. Remarkably, he was the only Indian bowler to play all five Tests of the series — a testament to his fitness, consistency, and value to the team.