Why is Mohammed Siraj called Miyan Magic? Explaining the meaning of Miya Bhai

Mohammed Siraj is at the top of the world currently. He is the numero uno bowler in the ICC ODI rankings for the bowlers as well. The right-handed pacer has been India’s leading pacer during the last year. He has led the Indian pace bowling across the formats in the absence of the seniors.

The 29-year-old recently helped India lift the Asia Cup 2023 trophy with a mind-blowing spell of fast bowling in the final. Mohammed Siraj blew Sri Lanka away with the figures of 6/21. It was truly a moment of ‘Miyan Magic’ as Sri Lanka were dismissed at a total of just 50.

For those who don’t know, Miyan Magic is a term synonymous with the captivating performances of Mohammed Siraj. Whenever the pacer produces a good performance, his fellow teammates refer to it as Miyan Magic. In simple terms, it means a magical performance from Siraj.

Explaining the meaning of Miya Bhai

Miya Bhai is the nickname of Mohammed Siraj in the India team and it has a lot to do with his roots in Hyderabad. Hailing from Khairtabad, a locality of Hyderabad, the pacer grew up in a typical Muslim neighbourhood.

Hence, during the early days of his career, Siraj’s teammates on the Hyderabad side alongside the coaches started him calling Miyan affectionately. However, once he started playing in the Indian Premier League for Royal Challengers Bangalore, it was Virat Kohli who put some weight behind his nickname and started to call him Miyan Bhai.

In Hyderabad and most parts of India, Miyan is a term that is used to refer to a Muslim man. It is an Urdu word and in Urdu, the term Miyan means a gentleman.

Meanwhile, the legendary South African cricketer AB de Villiers started to call Mohammed Siraj Miyan Magic courtesy of his solid performances. It was a game against Kolkata Knight Riders in Abu Dhabi where the right-arm pacer delivered a magical spell, including 16 dot balls in 2 maiden overs. He eventually finished the night with extraordinary figures of 3 wickets for just 8 runs in his spell of 4 overs. 

After such a magical spell, AB de Villiers called Mohammed Siraj, who was known as Miyan Bhai, Miya Magic for the first time.