“He was on par with Virat Kohli” - When Gautam Gambhir wanted Mohammed Siraj as Player of the Series in 2023

Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir called for pacer Mohammed Siraj to win the Player of the Series award in the 2023 ODIs against Sri Lanka despite Virat Kohli bagging the honors. Playing at home, the Men in Blue thrashed the Lankans 3-0, winning all three matches comfortably.

Kohli starred with the willow in the series, scoring 283 runs, including a sparkling 166* off 110 deliveries in the final ODI. The right-hander finished with an average of 141.50 and a strike rate of 137.37 to win the Player of the Series award.

Meanwhile, Siraj enjoyed tremendous success with the ball, finishing with nine wickets at an average of 10.22 and an economy of 4.05 in the three games.

Talking about the Player of the Series award after the final ODI, Gambhir told Star Sports (via India Today):

“He was on par with Virat Kohli. There should be a joint Man of the Series. He was exceptional and his spells came on proper batting wickets. I know you are always tempted towards giving batters Player of Series awards, but Siraj was absolutely exceptional. In every game, he was able to set the tone. He is a player for the future and is getting better after every series."

The right-arm pacer was consistent throughout the series, picking up multiple wickets in each of the three ODIs, including figures of 4/32 in 10 overs in the series finale.

Mohammed Siraj missed out on Player of the Series honors in 2025 ENG-IND Tests

Mohammed Siraj's misfortune with Player of the Series awards continued in the recently concluded Test series in England. The 31-year-old was the only Indian pacer to play in all five Tests, despite each one going to the fifth and final day.

He finished as the series' leading wicket-taker with 23 wickets in more than 185 overs of bowling over the five Tests. It included a match-winning performance of nine wickets in the series finale at the Oval, helping India level the five-match series at 2-2.

Siraj produced a five-wicket haul in the fourth innings at the Oval, including three on the final day of the Test with the hosts requiring only 35 runs to win.

However, skipper Shubman Gill walked away with the Player of the Series award from India, as nominated by England head coach Brendon McCullum. The right-hander led all scorers with 754 runs at an average of over 75, including four centuries.

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Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran