Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj during a training session ahead of the IPL 2025 match against Sunrisers, at Rajiv Gandhi International cricket stadium in Hyderabad.
| Photo Credit: K.V.S. GIRI

Over the years, the sight of Mohammed Siraj in a Royal Challengers Bengaluru shirt had become an IPL staple. His release by the franchise, therefore, understandably made the headlines and divided fan opinion. Now donning the dark blues of Gujarat Titans, Siraj has shown signs of settling in, with a statement spell against his former side to boot.

Vikram Solanki, GT’s Director of Cricket, believes that working under Titans head coach Ashish Nehra has helped the Hyderabad pacer find his groove again.

Mohammed Siraj of Gujrat Titans during the IPL 2025 match againt RCB at the M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru on 2nd April 2025.
| Photo Credit:
K. BHAGYA PRAKASH

“Siraj has been exceptional since he’s joined us. He obviously has a very good relationship with Ashish, and you’re seeing the fruits of his hard work and the work he’s doing with Ashish,” he said.

“A coach’s job is to instil confidence in players, and Ashish has done that in abundance. You’ve seen that with other players that have been part of the team, and I think that’s exactly what is transpiring with Siraj.”

For all the talk of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s prowess with the willow, teams have been able to counter its unevolving strategy with fair ease. While the home team comes into the clash with GT on the back of a hat-trick of defeats, Vikram is wary that SRH, with its batting might, can turn its bad form around in a jiffy.

“You can sometimes fall into the trap of what’s gone on previously. We’re mindful of Sunrisers being a very capable and strong team with match winners throughout their line-up. We’ll respect that,” he stated.