Dharmendra, a veteran Bollywood superstar, died at the age of 89, leaving the nation mourning the death of one of Indian cinema’s most cherished stars. The ‘He-Man of Bollywood’ was honored not only for his iconic films, but also for his support of Indian sports. As India pays respect to the late actor, an emotional message he made for fast bowler Mohammad Siraj resurfaces.
Dharmendra, who died in Mumbai, was an avid follower of Indian cricket and frequently lauded players for their performances. One such instance was in 2021, when Siraj, who was then making his Test debut, remained in Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy despite losing his father back home. Dharmendra’s communication to Siraj from that time has gone viral again.
The emotional tweet is from January 2021, right after India won a historic 2-1 Test series in Australia. Siraj, who was in obligatory COVID-19 quarantine in November 2020, received the tragic news that his father, Mohammed Ghouse, had died. Despite being given the choice of flying home, the then 26-year-old bowler elected to stay with the team, hoping to fulfill his father’s ambition of seeing him play Test cricket. The late actor then wrote a heartfelt statement.
‘Siraj, Brave Heart son of India Love you … Naaz hai tujh par, dil par walid ki maut ka sdma liye tum watan ki Aan ke liye match khelte rahe .. aur ek unhoni jeet watan ke naam darj kar ke lote.. Kal tujhe apne walid ki qabbr par dekh kar mun bhar aya. Jannt naseeb ho unhein,’ the actor had written on X.
Siraj , Brave Herat son of India Love you …Naaz hai tujh par, dil par walid ki maut ka sdma liye tum watan ki Aan ke liye match khelte rahe ..aur ek unhoni jeet watan ke naam darj kar ke lote..Kal tujhe apne walid ki qabbr par dekh kar mun bhar aya . jannt naseeb ho unhein 🙏 pic.twitter.com/O4zrkSg54F
— Dharmendra Deol (@aapkadharam) January 22, 2021Mohammad Siraj currently part of India-South Africa Test series
The pacer went on to play three matches in the series, taking 13 wickets and playing a key role in the famous victory at the Gabba. When Siraj returned to Hyderabad after the victory, he drove straight to the Khairatabad cemetery to pay his final respects at his father’s resting place.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Siraj is a member of India’s Test squad in the ongoing series against South Africa, where India is trailing 0–1. In the first Test in Kolkata, the right-arm fast scored 2/47 and 2/2. In the present Test in Guwahati, the 31-year-old claimed two wickets while allowing 106 runs in the first innings.
