Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], March 25 (ANI): Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) season with Gujarat Titans (GT), Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj said that a return to the Indian team is not on his hands, after watching Men in Blue lift the ICC Champions Trophy this year. He said that his focus remains on performing well and taking wickets for his team.

Siraj was speaking on the season six of Backstage with Boria to Boria Majumdar. He also recalled when he started thinking of selection in T20 World Cup 2022 following that year's IPL, he could not perform well and since then, he has decided to focus on things he can control.

Speaking to Boria, Siraj, who was not included in the white-ball series against England and CT 2025 following a decent outing in Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which included 20 wickets in five matches at an average of 31.15, said, 'Selection is not in my hands. What is in my hands is taking wickets and performing for my team. I will give my 100 per cent. If I start thinking about selection, it might affect my performance.'

'In the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, just after the IPL, I was only thinking about selection and that I needed to bowl well. But the performances did not come. Later, I realised that the only things in my control are my bowling and giving 100 per cent. The most important thing is performance and whether I am executing my plans properly. I have learned this over the last few years, and it has been very helpful,' he added.

On his body, Siraj said that he feels good and has worked on his mindset too.

'For me, everything depends on rhythm--the better my rhythm, the better I bowl. I have also worked on my mindset, and the break I got was very helpful. The body does get tired after playing so many matches, but right now, I am in good condition physically,' he concluded.

Siraj will not be donning the Red and Gold colours of RCB this season after a seven-year-long stint with the franchise and one of his biggest supporters, Virat Kohli. After playing a season for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in 2017, taking 10 wickets in six matches, Siraj was bought by RCB for Rs 2.6 crores and he played 87 matches for them, picking 83 wickets at an average of 31.45, with the best figures of 4/21. He is RCB's third-highest wicket-taker of all time, behind Harshal Patel (99) and Yuzvendra Chahal (139).

During his stint with RCB, Siraj experienced qualification to playoffs four times but could never win a trophy. The 2023 season was his best for RCB, taking 19 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 19.74 and an economy rate of 7.50, with best figures of 4/21.

In the last season, during which Siraj took 15 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 33.07, RCB experienced a memorable turnaround in the second-half of the season, going from winning only one of their first eight matches to winning six matches in a row to book a place in playoffs. However, they lost to Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the eliminator.

Siraj's last competitive cricket match was against Vidarbha in January, taking four wickets across both innings in their Ranji Trophy match. He was not included in Team India which won the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. (ANI)