'Go back to driving autos like your dad': How Mohammed Siraj overcame taunts to lead India's bowling attack

Mohammed Siraj with Family

Before every cricket tour, Mohammed Siraj visits a quiet graveyard in Hyderabad. He stands before his father's grave, head bowed in prayer, seeking blessings. When he returns, his first stop isn't home but the same spot, where he whispers, "Abbu, I'm back."

This ritual began in 2021, when Siraj, playing in Australia, lost his father, Mohammed Ghouse, an auto-rickshaw driver who spent his life steering his son toward an impossible dream.

Siraj grew up hearing cruel taunts after poor performances: "Go back to driving autos like your dad". But where others saw shame, he saw pride. "My dad's work is not an insult, it's my strength," he says.

Ghouse drove 12-hour shifts to fund Siraj's training, often skipping meals to buy cricket gear. "He taught me what hard work really means– keeping your head down and pushing on, no matter what anyone says," Siraj recalls.

As a teen, Siraj practiced for hours at local grounds. With no money for transport, he often walked miles home under the scorching sun. "All those days walking home from practice taught me hunger," he said. "Every time people ignored me, I worked harder."

Even after making the Indian team, challenges followed. He warmed benches for years, mocked as a "net bowler." But Siraj remembered his father's words and continued to work harder.

In 2023, during a Test match, Siraj broke down after taking a fifer. Later, he revealed why: "I looked at the sky and knew Abbu was watching."

That day, he gifted his match cap to his father's grave.

Today, Siraj is among India's fiercest fast bowlers. But he remembers his roots. Sharing an old family photo, he wrote: "My cap/jersey is proof that it makes no difference whether you are the son of an auto driver or a software engineer, all that matters is your hard work."

Mohammed Siraj's story is about much more than cricket. It's about a son who still lives by his father's teachings; carrying his lessons onto the field, into every challenge and back to that graveside where love and guidance never end.