Mohammed Siraj loves a bit of fun and games. In Dharamsala, where Gujarat Titans (GT) will be playing for the first time when they take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Qualifier 1, he was all too happy to be the photographer for any of his colleagues keen for the perfect click against the backdrop of the Himalayas.
He seemed a bit obsessed about the perfect frame and pose, at times insisting his colleagues move slightly left or slightly right depending on the light. The symbolism was hard to miss because Siraj, with the new ball, has had as perfect a season as it can get.
The numbers underline his impact. Siraj's 13 wickets in the powerplay - the most he has picked up in a season in this phase - are the third-most in IPL 2026 behind Kagiso Rabada and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. This has contributed to GT picking up the most wickets (79) by a bowling unit this season.
Siraj's impact has been most visible in the powerplay. He concedes at 7.53 an over and is second behind Bhuvneshwar Kumar's 7.1 among those who have bowled at least ten overs. Pace aside, the venom and late movement have consistently made him a threat on surfaces that offer the slightest of assistance. In cooler climes with rarified air, Siraj's seam movement could be RCB's biggest challenge.
Siraj's economy has had a knock-on effect on GT's powerplay economy rate of 9.2 - the best in the tournament in this phase. Whenever they've picked up at least two wickets in the first six overs, they've won eight of the nine matches. Much of this is down to Siraj and his bowling partnership up top with Kagiso Rabada.
"The kind of character that he is, channelising all his energy towards one goal," GT's assistant coach Vijay Dahiya said. "And he's got a very able partner on the other end as well. The chemistry between the two is phenomenal, not only on the field, but off the field as well.
"And I think they understand each other. Not only mentally, but skill-wise as well. They understand the game very well. How the game is going and what I need to do. They understand how to finish their overs to help their partner. Normally, when you talk about a partnership, it mostly goes with batting. But I think they have a very, very good bowling partnership.
"And a lot of credit needs to be given to Ashish Nehra, the way he handles both of them. Different characters, come from different environments, come from different team environments. But both of them are top-class bowlers and I think they do complement each other really, really well."
A large part of that stems from the balance GT possess. Shubman Gill has been able to use Siraj aggressively because there are reliable safety nets behind him. Jason Holder's control through the middle overs and Rashid Khan's ability to squeeze scoring allow GT to attack relentlessly upfront rather than hold resources back.
Siraj's brief has been uncomplicated: take wickets with the new ball, even if it occasionally comes at a cost. Few captains hand a fast bowler that level of trust unless they believe he can consistently break games open. And Siraj has been able to do that, consistently.
There are a few blockbuster spells that stand out. Like the one he bowled to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. He was tonked for six first ball - not new in the world of the wonder kid, who has meted similar treatment to Jasprit Bumrah, Pat Cummins and Lungi Ngidi. But Siraj's comeback spoke volumes.
He speared in a pinpoint yorker next ball - the late tail-in hit the 15-year-old flush on the toe and had him hobbling. After troubling him with the full ball, Siraj then dished out a bumper that cramped him for room, with the miscued pull landing in short fine leg's hands. Siraj's roar and jubilation at getting one back on the teenage sensation told you a story.
The same aggression and rhythm were to be seen against Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk last week. First ball to Sanju Samson: outswinger, edge, gone. After being named the Player of the Match for his three-for that scuppered CSK's chase, and their campaign, Siraj almost casually remarked that on a red-soil pitch, getting Samson to nick an outswinger was the perfect formula.
The comment was revealing because bowlers only speak that way when they feel completely in sync with their craft. There is a conviction in Siraj's bowling right now that had briefly deserted him over the last couple of seasons.
What makes this resurgence more striking is how distant Siraj looked from this version of himself not too long ago. In 2024, his final season with RCB, he managed only three wickets in the powerplay while conceding close to ten an over. For a bowler expected to dominate the toughest phase of the innings, especially at the Chinnaswamy, where early wickets are often the only form of control, those returns felt underwhelming.
RCB's decision to retain Yash Dayal ahead of him was not entirely surprising from a tactical point of view, but it clearly hurt him. Last season, his first with GT, Siraj picked up nine powerplay wickets and notably produced a match-winning spell at the Chinnaswamy that visibly meant a great deal to him. Yet even then, the impression was of a bowler rebuilding confidence after a slightly up-and-down tour of Australia that preceded the IPL.
This season has felt different. Siraj has routinely turned his first spell into an event. The ball is moving late, his lengths are fuller. Above all, there is the unmistakable sense that he is enjoying the way the ball is coming out. It's all looking picture-perfect.