Mohammad Shami made his debut in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 when India played Bangladesh on Thursday in Dubai. He was the star of the show after Bangladesh won the toss and chose to bat first.
Despite a century by Towhid Hridoy and 68 by Jaker Ali, Bangladesh could only muster 228 runs in 49.4 overs. For India, Mohammad Shami stood out with 5/53 in 10 overs while Harshit Rana took 3 wickets and Axar Patel took 2 scalps.
India chased down the target with ease despite the pitch slowing down considerably as Shubman Gill hit 101* and was aided by 41 each by Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul. India won by 6 wickets and pocketed 2 important points in Group A.
While Shubman Gill was named the Player of the Match, Mohammad Shami had his reason to celebrate as he completed 200 wickets in ODIs in his 104th ODI. He became the joint ssecond-fastestto reach the milestone, along with Saqlain Mushtaq and behind Mitchell Starc (102).
Mohammad Shami had only returned to the Indian team before the Champions Trophy and played 2 ODIs and 2 T20Is against England. Mohammed Shami has revealed the reason behind his success.
After a tough and painful injury layoff behind him, seasoned India pacer Mohammad Shami thinks his attention to detail and dedication to his craft make him lethal in ICC competitions, when he is only concerned about breakthroughs and not economy rates.
"In ICC events, if my ball gets hit a little, that's okay, but I should get a wicket, then that will be better for my team. I always think about this. I just try to complete my skill with utmost loyalty. Like I have completed my 14 months - How loyal are you to that skill? How hungry are you to achieve your goal...How you will get that rhythm again? You should be hungry," Shami said at the post-match press conference.
Now Shami has 60 wickets in 19 matches in ICC events, the most by an Indian bowler, leaving behind Zaheer Khan, who had 59 wickets in 32 innings for India.
Shami said he has always focused on minor details like rhythm, and level of discomfort while bowling to understand where he stood in terms of his form.
"Is your rhythm good? Do you have any discomfort? I pay attention to those things. I don't pay attention to the result. I pay attention to the present. And I always try to meet the situation that is in demand. Am I good at that or not?" Shami said.
Shami, who took his sixth ODI wicket here, now has the most five-wicket hauls for India in the format. He recalled his frustration while witnessing India's defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy last month, when Bumrah took on the great responsibility of leading the assault without him at the other end.
"It was very difficult...when you see that your team is very close to the edge, or it's a very close match, at that time you miss your bowlers who you used to bowl along with, or your unit. I wish I were there. I could have contributed something, could have helped," he added.
Mohammad Shami credited his domestic cricket return gave him huge confidence before his India team return.
"I got to play domestic matches to gain confidence and to see my rhythm. To see what changes have come in the last 14 months or after the surgery...I got four international matches to play and I played around 10 domestic matches. That gave me a lot of confidence," he said.
Mohammad Shami also talked about the upcoming high voltage clash between India and Pakistan on February 23, Sunday. Shami said nothing changes for his team in terms of mindset.
"After winning, there is no point in having a mindset. You should stay in the same frame when you win a match and when you perform well. I don't think you need to think too much about the ICC tournament or any international match.
You should believe in your skills and back yourself. I always work on these two things that I believe in myself and back myself. So, it's not a matter of mindset to change. If you don't change in difficult times, then you don't change in such times,” Shami said while playing down the hype of the contest.
Another aspect of modern cricket that Shami dismissed as insignificant is the social media scrutiny that the players face.
"I always say that the social media of today is such that you create some unwanted things. You always run things in the media that shouldn't run. So, I don't think we should think too much," he said.
Shami dedicated his performance to his late father Tousif Ali, a farmer who had tried his hand at fast bowling in his youth.
"That is for my father because he is my role model. He was always there for me," he said.
He also thanked the Indian team management for backing him.
"Whether it's a question of the captain or the coach, it's very important for every player to have this support...if you have players who trust you, it gives you peace of mind. The responsibility that I have been given, the role that I have been given, whether I am able to fulfil the responsibility that has been given to me, I always try to find that out," Shami concluded.
(PTI inputs)
