As he prepares for the upcoming IPL season with Gujarat Titans (GT), Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj stated that a return to the national team is beyond his control, especially after watching the Men in Blue lift the ICC Champions Trophy this year. His focus, he said, remains on delivering strong performances and taking wickets for his team.

Siraj also reflected on his experience after IPL 2022, when he began thinking about selection for the T20 World Cup but struggled with his performance. Since then, he has chosen to focus only on aspects of the game that are within his control.

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.

"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.