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Indian pacer Mohammad Shami (left) with legendary Indian cricket MS Dhoni. (Image: mdshami.11/Instagram)
Indian cricketer Mohammad Shami is known for his exceptional skills as a fast bowler. Over his 11-year international career, he has made significant contributions to Indian cricket, particularly in the One Day International (ODI) format where he holds the record for the most wickets by an Indian in World Cup history.
Known for his ability to swing the ball both ways and deliver under pressure, Shami has been a key player in various ICC tournaments. Despite India finishing as runners-up in five ICC events during his tenure, Shami has been instrumental in their successes, including winning the Asia Cup in 2016 and 2023. His impressive performances and consistent form make him one of the most formidable pacers in modern cricket.
Hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Shami made an early impact in First Class and List-A cricket. He was later drafted into India’s ODI team to play against Pakistan in January 2013 and the rest is history. The pacer celebrates his 34th birthday today, September 3.
Mohammad Shami was in sublime form 2023 World Cup in India. The veteran pacer notched a seven-wicket haul against New Zealand in the tournament’s semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium. Defending a total of 397, Shami went on an absolute tear to disrupt the top order of the Kiwis. He dismissed star batters including Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Tom Latham and Daryl Mitchell. India eventually reached the final with a 70-run victory.
Mohammad Shami was a force to be dealt with during the 2018 Test series between India and Australia. He initially failed to find a scalp in India’s first bowling spell at Perth. But Shami made a perfect comeback during the second innings with a six-wicket haul. He dismissed the likes of Aaron Finch, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh and Tim Paine. Despite his brilliant bowling, India conceded a defeat in the fixture by 146 runs.
Spearheaded by the partnership of Mohammad Shami and Mohammed Siraj, India put up one of the most dominant World Cup performances in history. Defending a total of 357, the Indian bowlers excelled at the Wankhede Stadium. Shami made his impact in clearing up the middle and lower order by bagging five wickets. His impressive performance led Sri Lanka to be dismissed for a total of 55 runs.
Mohammad Shami was unstoppable in last year’s edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). He put up his best performance of the campaign against the Delhi Capitals. Bowling at impeccable lengths, the Indian pacer ran ruckus with the new ball as he knocked the wind out of Delhi Capitals’ top order. He racked up impressive figures of 4/11 during the game. Shami finished as the top-wicket taker of the tournament that season.
Mohammad Shami had previously haunted the Delhi Capitals on another occasion in 2020 as a Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) player. He produced a fiery spell of 3/15 in their fixture in Dubai. Shami dismissed the likes of Prithvi Shaw, Shimron Hetmyer and Shreyas Iyer while giving away just 15 runs in the match. Despite the impressive bowling numbers, Punjab lost the game in the Super Over.
