Rohit Sharma understands the mental state of players, motivates them: Mohammed Siraj

India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj has lauded skipper Rohit Sharma for being an understanding leader. The Hyderabad pacer said that Rohit finds a way to come up with a Plan B and also encourages the bowlers. Siraj has succeeded in cementing his place in India’s red-ball squad with some consistent performances in the last one-and-a-half years.

The ‘Hitman’ took over the captaincy reins in limited-overs towards the end of last year from Virat Kohli and later became the all-format captain when Kohli relinquished Test captaincy in January this year. Under Rohit’s captaincy, the Men in Blue have been a force to reckon with at home, especially in T20Is, where they have gone on to register three consecutive series wins.

It’s a great feeling to work under a captain who understands you so well: Mohammed Siraj

“Rohit understands the mental state of a player. Whenever we have a tough time out there on the field, he is the one who comes up with a plan B and motivates the bowlers to do better in the game. It’s a great feeling to work under a captain who understands you so well,” Siraj was quoted by News 18 CricketNext.

Siraj, who was one of the Royal Challengers Bangalore‘s mandatory retentions, had a forgettable IPL 2022 as he could only manage nine wickets at an economy of 10.08. He would now be hoping to regain his mojo as he gets ready to don the whites when India visits England to play the rescheduled fifth and final Test match.

India have already taken an unassailable 2-1 lead with famous wins at Lord’s and The Oval. Rain played a spoilsport in the opening game in Nottingham. Should India win this game, it will be their first Test series win on English soil after the 2007-08 season.

“Right now, we have some time before we play the Test against England so for now, I would be training at the ground near my house and working on my fitness, as jumping from T20 to Test is a big change. To bowl those long spells in Test cricket, I really need to focus on my consistency, and it will be my only goal,” Siraj added.