Tragedy struck Indian fast bowler Mohammed Siraj's family after his father Mohammed Ghaus passed away in Hyderabad on Friday. He was 53 and suffering from a lung ailment. Mohammed Siraj, who is currently in Australia with the Indian cricket team, will not be able to attend the last rites ceremony owing to quarantine restrictions in the team.
Several cricketers who recently competed in the Indian Premier League in the UAE, including Mohammed Siraj, attended a training session at Blacktown International Sports Park in Sydney on Saturday. The Indian squad has been training in isolation ever since arriving in Sydney on November 13.
Siraj received support from social media users after news of his father's death was reported.
"Our heartfelt prayers and condolences go out to Mohammed Siraj & his family, on the loss of his father. The entire RCB family is with you during this difficult time. Stay strong, Miyan," the official Twitter account of Royal Challengers Bangalore tweeted. Siraj had a good season with the RCB team in the 2020 IPL.
Our heartfelt prayers and condolences go out to Mohammed Siraj & his family, on the loss of his father. The entire RCB family is with you during this difficult time. Stay strong, Miyan
— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) November 20, 2020
In 2017, when Mohammed Siraj landed a whopping Rs 2.6 cr deal with Sunrisers Hyderabad at the IPL 2017 player auctions he was all of 23. He was auctioned for almost 13 times his base price. Back then, Siraj’s family lived in Khaja Nagar, a slum in the interiors of Masab Tank. His father Mohammed Ghouse used to drive an auto for a living while his mother Shabhana Begum is a homemaker.
His father heard the news about his son’s IPL auction when he came home for lunch. His small house was flooded with people. The entire colony wore a festive look. When asked how their lives would change after the big offer Siraj had bagged, the young cricketer had said he wanted to move his family to a better house. His father, however, retorted saying that he would continue to drive his auto, something that had been his source of income for several years. Couple of months later, Siraj and his family moved to a new house in Hyderabad’s Toli Chowki.