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Siraj had to be stopped to prevent him from over-exertion: Rohit Sharma after winning Asia Cup 2023 final

Despite an on-song Siraj likely to pick a seven-wicket haul - a rare achievement in ODIs - he was taken off the attack before Sri Lanka was bowled out for 50 at the R. Premadasa Stadium.

Published : Sep 17, 2023 21:14 IST , Colombo - 2 MINS READ

On a dry pitch with the rain not too far around, Siraj bamboozled the Sri Lanka batters with his skills.
On a dry pitch with the rain not too far around, Siraj bamboozled the Sri Lanka batters with his skills. | Photo Credit: AP
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On a dry pitch with the rain not too far around, Siraj bamboozled the Sri Lanka batters with his skills. | Photo Credit: AP

Moments after Mohammed Siraj finished his sixth over during the Asia Cup final, captain Rohit Sharma walked up to him on the bowler’s way to third-man, had a chat with him and he persisted with Siraj for another over.

But after the next over, despite an on-song Siraj likely to pick a seven-wicket haul - a rare achievement in ODIs - he was taken off the attack before Sri Lanka was bowled out for 50 at the R. Premadasa Stadium.

“He bowled seven overs in that spell, and seven overs is a lot. So, I got a message from the trainer that we have to stop him now,” Rohit said after lifting India’s eighth Asia Cup trophy.

READ | Siraj dedicates $5000 Player of the Match prize money to Sri Lankan ground staff after India’s Asia Cup win

“He (Siraj) was quite desperate to bowl. That is the nature of any batter or bowler, they want to pounce when they see any opportunity. That’s where my job comes in. I make sure that everyone stays a little calm and you don’t over-exert yourself.”

Rohit narrated a similar incident against the same opposition in Thiruvananthapuram earlier this year when he had to stop Siraj’s quest for a five-wicket haul.

“I remember, Siraj was in a similar situation against SL in Trivandrum, and he bowled some eight-nine overs on the trot. He was on four wickets then. So I think seven overs were enough,” Rohit said.

On a dry pitch with the rain not too far around, Siraj bamboozled the Sri Lanka batters with his skills. Rohit was thrilled with Siraj’s performance.

“It was very pleasing to watch from the slips. Siraj got the ball to move more than the other two. It depends, you know, every day, everyone cannot be a hero. That’s how the sport is so good because a different hero shows up each day,” Rohit said. “We were riding behind him (Siraj) when he was bowling that spell. We all complimented him.”

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