As Shami spends time on the sidelines, watching his teammates play for the country, there are a few close friends from the Indian team who keep checking on him, asking about his well-being.

Speaking on a podcast with Shubhankar Mishra, the right-arm quick took the names of Ishant Sharma and Virat Kohli when asked about some close friends from the Indian cricket team.

“There is a group of close friends which has Ishant Sharma, Virat Kohli and a few former cricketers and we keep talking to each other on the phone. But it’s not like we speak regularly to each other,” Shami said.