Mohammed Siraj Criticised For Unsportsmanlike Conduct In ODI Against Sri Lanka

Mohammed Siraj faced backlash from fans for losing his temper and sledging Sri Lanka's number nine batter, Akil Dananjaya, after conceding a boundary.

Sri Lanka's lower middle-order and tail-enders impressed again in the ODI series, posting 240/9 after being reduced to 136/6 in 34.5 overs.

Dunith Wellalage scored 39 off 35 balls at number seven. Kamindu Mendis followed with 40 off 44, while Dananjaya contributed 15 off 13 balls.

Sri Lanka managed to score 44 runs in the last five overs, adding up to 104 runs for the loss of three wickets after being at 136/6 in 35 overs. In the first ODI, they scored 230 after being reduced to 101/5.

The southpaw hit two boundaries, including one off Siraj on the fourth ball of the 49th over. The Indian pacer bowled a sharp short delivery to finish the over as Akila Dananjaya made an unsuccessful attempt to pull the ball.

Siraj, who conceded 43 runs in eight overs for one wicket, walked up to the batter during his follow-through to stare at him and hurl some expletives. The Sri Lankan did not respond to Siraj's sledging.

Indian fans were already unimpressed by India's bowling performance against Sri Lanka's tail-enders and criticised Siraj for his behaviour.

"Unnecessary by Siraj. He gets triggered very easily after a few boundaries and overreacts to the situation. Needs to calm down in such situations," one fan wrote on X.

"Yea man it's frustrating now. You can't let teams score 100+ runs after you have them at 136/6. So irritating. Siraj and Arshdeep have been poor to say the least," another fan commented.

Sri Lanka played with just one spinner in this match. Nine Indian wickets fell to spin bowling in the first match, which ended in a tie. India went unchanged into the second ODI with three spinners and two pacers.

Indian fans expressed their frustration online, criticising both Siraj and Arshdeep Singh for their performances.