Indian pacer Mohammad Shami has often been trolled and slammed by cricket fans. Shami, who made his India debut in 2013, has played three World Cups for the team, including more than 20 wickets in the 2023 World Cup tournament.
However, his career, since an 18-month break post the World Cup, has been in decline due to fitness issues. Shami was recently part of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025-winning Indian team and played in IPL 2025.
The tournament was played during the Ramzan month, in which followers of Islam keep fast for a month and don’t consume food or drink anything during the daytime within the stipulated time frame. However, Mohammad Shami was seen drinking an energy drink during the heat in Dubai, where India played its matches. Shami was slammed by certain fans on social media for the same.
Recently, Shami revealed how he deals with online hate and trolling, and he spoke about this incident of drinking something during Ramzan month. Even the holy texts, according to Shami, make an exception for those who are traveling, speaking on behalf of the country, or in circumstances where they are unable to maintain a fast.
"We are playing a match in 42 or 45 degrees; we are sacrificing ourselves. Even in our law, there are exceptions for cases like these if you are doing something for the country or traveling. People should understand these things. I understand that people see others as role models, but they should also understand what exactly the person is doing and for whom. Even our law allows us certain exceptions; we can either pay a penalty for that or compensate for that later, which I did," Shami said in an interview with News24.
Shami also revealed that he no longer pays attention to what is written on social media about him and isn’t bothered by trolls online.
"It's just that some people want to come into the limelight and want to point things out. I never read comments on social media; my team manages my accounts," said Shami.
Mohammad Shami was recently not picked for the five-Test England tour due to fitness issues and is currently playing in the Duleep Trophy tournament. He will be eager to make an Indian comeback when they face the West Indies and South Africa at home.
