Overview

• Siraj said he deliberately avoided speaking to or making eye contact with Joe Root during the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy to keep his competitive edge.
• He explained that Root’s calm, smiling demeanor made him relax, so he chose to walk away even when Root tried to chat at the non-striker’s end.
• Responding to Root’s quip about “fake-angriness,” Siraj insisted his on-field fury is authentic and only eases after taking a wicket.
• He contrasted that intensity with his off-field persona, describing himself as calm and laid-back when not competing.
• The comments came in an Idea Exchange with xpreIndian Express and were reported on Monday by multiple outlets including News18 and Cricket Country.