Mohammad Shami was at his hilarious best when he reflected on his ICC World Cup experiences with the Indian team during the recent CEAT Cricket Awards.
Mohammad Shami has played three ICC World Cups for India in 2015, 2019, and 2023. He was the highest wicket-taker in the 2023 World Cup, picking 24 wickets in just 7 matches including three fifers and best bowling figures of 7/57 in the semi-final against New Zealand.
However, Shami was not the first-choice bowler for India in the tournament, as Rohit Sharma and co went with Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Hardik Pandya as pace bowling options. However, once Hardik Pandya got injured in a match against Bangladesh, India opted to go with Mohammad Shami.
Shami showed his class straightaway, taking a fifer against New Zealand in Dharamshala. He then took a fifer against Sri Lanka, before blowing away New Zealand again in the semi-final in Mumbai.
In a video shared by Star Sports, host Mayanti Langer asked Mohammad Shami what drove him to keep pushing forward as he dealt with being a second-choice bowler at the World Cup.
Shami hilariously responded, “Aadat pad gayi hai shayad, kyunki '15 me, '19 me and '23 me, teeno me same start huwa hai. Aur jab mujhe mauka diya hai captain, coaches ne toh perform...aisa hi nikla hai ki phir inn logon ne kabhi socha nahi hai ki haan phir baitha de isko [I’ve gotten used to it, I think. In 2015, 2019, and 2023, I had the same start. But whenever the captain and coaches gave me a chance, I performed. So much so that they never thought about dropping me again]."
This response left Rohit Sharma cracking up and even former India coach Rahul Dravid was also seen smiling.
As the crowd laughed, Shami continued with his typical humor, "Mehnat kar sakte hai..hamesha main ready rahta hoon ki haan mujhe chance mile. Kyunki aap mujhe chance doge tabhi main kuch kar sakta hoon, varna table se toh pani hi pila sakta hoon bench se toh. So behtar he jab chance mile mauka le lo apne haath me [You can call it hard work, but I’m always ready for a chance. Only when you give me a chance can I prove myself. Otherwise, from the bench, all I can do is run onto the field to give water! It’s better to seize the opportunity when you get it]."
Here is the video:
Mohammad Shami is currently recovering from an ankle injury and is slated to make his return in the Ranji Trophy for the Bengal team. It is expected that Shami will make his India comeback on a tour of Australia later this year.
