It’s never too late to achieve your dreams. They say the best years of a fast bowler’s career are before they turn 25. But what if you are already 21 years old and have rarely even played with a proper cricket ball? The whole world will tell you that you should give up on your dreams and settle for a less than ordinary life.

But Mohammed Siraj didn’t listen to what the world had to say. Instead, he heard the noise within. Today, the boy from the gullies of Hyderabad’s Mehdipatnam is an Indian fast bowling star who has made a name for himself from his bowling in the IPL to combating racism while playing test cricket in Australia.

Listen to this Sochcast episode, written by Harish Alagappa, to discover the story of this Noisemaker and learn how a vegetable vendor friend could have been responsible for changing Mohammed Siraj’s life and helping create a new star on the horizon for Indian fast bowling.