Mohammed Shami
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Mohammed Shami Ahmed (born 3 September 1990) is an Indian international
cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
er who plays for the
Indian national cricket team The India men's national cricket team, also known as Team India or the Men in Blue, represents India in men's international cricket. It is governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), and is a Full Member of the International ...
in all formats of the game as a right-arm
fast bowler Fast bowling (also referred to as pace bowling) is one of two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket, the other being spin bowling. Practitioners of pace bowling are usually known as ''fast'' bowlers, ''quicks'', or ''pacemen''. T ...
. He plays domestically for
Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...
and in the
Indian Premier League The Indian Premier League (IPL), also known as TATA IPL for sponsorship reasons, is a men's T20 franchise cricket league of India. It is annually contested by ten teams based out of seven Indian cities and three Indian states. The leagu ...
for
Gujarat Titans Gujarat Titans is a franchise cricket team based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. The Titans compete in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Founded in 2021, Gujarat Titans' home ground is Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera. The franchise is owned by C ...
. He is a right-arm fast bowler, who bowls the ball off the seam and using swing, including
reverse swing Swing bowling is a technique used for bowling in the sport of cricket. Practitioners are known as swing bowlers. Swing bowling is generally classed as a subtype of fast bowling. The aim of swing bowling is to cause the ball to move in the ai ...
, to move the ball both ways. He has been described as a fine bowler at the end of a limited-overs innings and as "unplayable" at times in all formats. Shami made his international debut in a
One Day International A One Day International (ODI) is a form of limited overs cricket, played between two teams with international status, in which each team faces a fixed number of overs, currently 50, with the game lasting up to 9 hours. The Cricket World C ...
(ODI) against
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
in January 2013, bowling four
maiden over Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...
s. His Test debut in November 2013 saw him take a
five-wicket haul In cricket, a five-wicket haul (also known as a "five–for" or "fifer") occurs when a bowler takes five or more wickets in a single innings. This is regarded by critics as a notable achievement, equivalent to a century from a batsman. Takin ...
against the
West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...
. He is the fastest Indian bowler to take 100 ODI wickets. During the
2019 Cricket World Cup The 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup was the 12th Cricket World Cup, a quadrennial One Day International (ODI) cricket tournament contested by men's national teams and organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC). It was hosted between 30 May ...
, he became the second Indian bowler to claim a hat-trick in a World Cup match. Shami has an A grade central contract from the
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(BCCI), the second highest grade of contract.


Early life and career

Shami grew up in the village of Sahaspur in
Amroha Amroha is a city in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. It is located north-west of Moradabad, near the Ganga River. It is the administrative headquarters of the Amroha district. Geography Amroha is located north-west of Moradabad, near the ...
,
Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
, one of five children.Laha, Somshuvra (2013
Farmer's son Mohammad Shami swings it for team India
''
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'', 24 October 2013. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
Archived version
retrieved 30 October 2021.)
Power play: Even cuts can't deny Shami's Sahaspur village
''
The Times of India ''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest ...
'', 19 March 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
His father Tauseef Ali was a farmer who had been a fast bowler in his youth;Banerjee, Sandipan (2014
Mohammed Shami: An incredible journey from Sahaspur to the Indian dressing room
Cricket Country, 16 October 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
when Shami was 15 he was taken to Badruddin Siddique, a cricket coach in
Moradabad Moradabad () is a city, commissionary and municipal corporation in Moradabad district of Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Moradabad is situated on the banks of the Ramganga river, at a distance of from the national capital, New Delhi and 344 ...
, a town from his home. Shami worked hard on his technique throughout his time at Moradabad; after matches he would request the used balls so that he could develop the ability to
reverse swing Swing bowling is a technique used for bowling in the sport of cricket. Practitioners are known as swing bowlers. Swing bowling is generally classed as a subtype of fast bowling. The aim of swing bowling is to cause the ball to move in the ai ...
the older ball, a skill which would be integral to his success later in his career.Hunter N (2013
Shami's swing the revelation
CricInfo ESPN cricinfo (formerly known as Cricinfo or CricInfo) is a sports news website exclusively for the game of cricket. The site features news, articles, live coverage of cricket matches (including liveblogs and scorecards), and ''StatsGuru'', a d ...
, 6 November 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
Shami's reverse-swing a honed art - coach
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, 6 November 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
Monga, Sidharth (2013
Shami's rise from small-time club to country
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, 9 November 2013. Retrieved 15 February 2015
He was not, however, selected for the Uttar Pradesh under-19 side, and later in 2005 Badruddin sent him to
Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
to increase his chances of selection for a state side. After playing for the Dalhousie Athletic Club he was recommended to Debabrata Das, a former assistant secretary of the
Cricket Association of Bengal Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) is the governing body for cricket in the Indian state of West Bengal. Its headquarters are located in the Eden Gardens stadium, Kolkata. It is a full member of Board of Control for Cricket in India. It gover ...
, who was impressed with Shami's bowling and asked him to join his own club, Town Club. Das took Shami, who had no place to stay in Kolkata, to live with him. After bowling well for Town Club, Das asked one of the Bengal selectors,
Sambaran Banerjee Sambaran Banerjee (born 1 November 1953) is a cricket coach, a columnist, TV analyst and was an administrator in the Cricket Association of Bengal. In addition to it he was also the chief selector of Bengal Cricket Team. He resigned from the tit ...
, to watch Shami bowl; Banerjee was impressed and selected him for the Bengal under-22 team. Shami later joined Mohun Bagan Cricket Club, one of the best sides in Bengal, in order to be considered for selection to the full state side. He bowled to former Indian captain
Sourav Ganguly Sourav Chandidas Ganguly (; natively spelled as Gangopadhyay; born 8 July 1972), affectionately known as Dada (meaning ''"elder brother"'' in Bengali), is an Indian cricket administrator, commentator and former national cricket team captain w ...
in the
Eden Gardens The Eden Gardens is a cricket ground in Kolkata, India. Established in 1864, it is the oldest and second-largest cricket stadium in India and third-largest in the world. The stadium currently has a capacity of 66,000. Eden Gardens is often re ...
nets; Ganguly recommended him to the state selectors and soon after Shami was picked in the Bengal squad for the
2010–11 Ranji Trophy The 2010–11 Ranji Trophy season is the 77th Ranji trophy season. It is being contested through two leagues: Super and Plate. Each division is divided into 2 groups – A and B, each team plays all the other teams from its group only once ...
.


Domestic career

Shami took four wickets on his senior debut for
Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...
in a
Twenty20 Twenty20 (T20) is a shortened game format of cricket. At the professional level, it was introduced by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in 2003 for the inter-county competition. In a Twenty20 game, the two teams have a single innin ...
match in October 2010.Maharashtra and Mumbai start with wins
CricInfo ESPN cricinfo (formerly known as Cricinfo or CricInfo) is a sports news website exclusively for the game of cricket. The site features news, articles, live coverage of cricket matches (including liveblogs and scorecards), and ''StatsGuru'', a d ...
, 20 October 2010. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
He made his
first-class cricket First-class cricket, along with List A cricket and Twenty20 cricket, is one of the highest-standard forms of cricket. A first-class match is one of three or more days' scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players each and is officiall ...
debut the following month against
Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
at Eden Gardens, taking three wickets in a high scoring match.Yusuf Pathan leaves Uttar Pradesh in trouble
CricInfo ESPN cricinfo (formerly known as Cricinfo or CricInfo) is a sports news website exclusively for the game of cricket. The site features news, articles, live coverage of cricket matches (including liveblogs and scorecards), and ''StatsGuru'', a d ...
, 19 November 2010. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
Mohammed Shami
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. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
In February 2012 his bowling helped
East Zone The East Zone cricket team is a first-class cricket team that represents eastern India in the Duleep Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Inter Zonal. It is a composite team of five first-class Indian teams from eastern India competing in the Ranj ...
win their first
Duleep Trophy The Duleep Trophy, also known as Mastercard Duleep trophy due to sponsorship reasons, is a domestic first-class cricket competition played in India. Named after Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji of Nawanagar (also known as 'Duleep'), the competition wa ...
title; he took eight wickets in the match and was described as "outstanding, consistently getting bounce and zip from just short of a good length".Purohit, Abhishek (2012
East Zone secure maiden Duleep title
CricInfo ESPN cricinfo (formerly known as Cricinfo or CricInfo) is a sports news website exclusively for the game of cricket. The site features news, articles, live coverage of cricket matches (including liveblogs and scorecards), and ''StatsGuru'', a d ...
, 14 February 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
He had only played in the match following an injury to
Abu Nechim Abu Nechim Ahmed (born 5 November 1988) is an Indian cricketer who plays for Nagaland cricket team, Nagaland in domestic cricket and played for Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League. He is a right-arm fast ...
, but it proved to be a significant breakthrough in Shami's career;Purohit, Abhishek (2012
Five Indian players to watch
CricInfo ESPN cricinfo (formerly known as Cricinfo or CricInfo) is a sports news website exclusively for the game of cricket. The site features news, articles, live coverage of cricket matches (including liveblogs and scorecards), and ''StatsGuru'', a d ...
, 4 April 2012. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
he had been described as "little-known" before the match,Purohit, Abhishek (2012
Dinda, Shami Ahmed put East Zone on top
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, 12 February 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
but by April was being touted as a player to watch in the upcoming
Indian Premier League The Indian Premier League (IPL), also known as TATA IPL for sponsorship reasons, is a men's T20 franchise cricket league of India. It is annually contested by ten teams based out of seven Indian cities and three Indian states. The leagu ...
season. He was selected to tour the West Indies with the India A side and "impressed" with his bowling on pitches which were considered to be generally unhelpful to fast bowlers.Mohammed Shami
Cricbuzz Cricbuzz is an Indian cricket news website owned by Times Internet. It features, news, articles and live coverage of cricket matches including videos, text commentary, player stats and team rankings. Their website also offers a mobile app. Cr ...
. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
Shami was considered to have been the "surprise package" of the tour for India A, and impressed the team's coach
Lalchand Rajput Lalchand Sitaram Rajput; (born 18 December 1961) is an Indian cricket coach and former cricketer who was also the former head coach of the Zimbabwe national team. Rajput played in two Tests and four ODIs from 1985 to 1987. After the conclusio ...
with his strength and consistency whilst bowling, as well as with his batting;Monga, Sidharth (2012
Disappointed, but not panicking - India A coach
CricInfo ESPN cricinfo (formerly known as Cricinfo or CricInfo) is a sports news website exclusively for the game of cricket. The site features news, articles, live coverage of cricket matches (including liveblogs and scorecards), and ''StatsGuru'', a d ...
, 20 June 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
batting tenth in the first unofficial Test match, he scored 27 runs in a
partnership A partnership is an arrangement where parties, known as business partners, agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests. The partners in a partnership may be individuals, businesses, interest-based organizations, schools, governments o ...
of 73 with Cheteshwar Pujara which won the match for India A.Captain Pujara wins thriller for India A
CricInfo ESPN cricinfo (formerly known as Cricinfo or CricInfo) is a sports news website exclusively for the game of cricket. The site features news, articles, live coverage of cricket matches (including liveblogs and scorecards), and ''StatsGuru'', a d ...
, 5 June 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
Later in the year he was one of only two fast bowlers retained for the India A tour of New Zealand,Monga, Sidharth (2012
Mukund to lead India A in New Zealand
CricInfo ESPN cricinfo (formerly known as Cricinfo or CricInfo) is a sports news website exclusively for the game of cricket. The site features news, articles, live coverage of cricket matches (including liveblogs and scorecards), and ''StatsGuru'', a d ...
, 10 August 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
although he only played in two of the six matches on the tour. During the 2012–13 Ranji Trophy, Shami took 11 wickets in a match against
Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...
in November, including seven wickets for 79 runs (7/79) in the first innings, a return which included a
hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wic ...
.MP ahead despite Ahmed hat-trick
CricInfo ESPN cricinfo (formerly known as Cricinfo or CricInfo) is a sports news website exclusively for the game of cricket. The site features news, articles, live coverage of cricket matches (including liveblogs and scorecards), and ''StatsGuru'', a d ...
, 24 November 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
Pandey five-for leads Madhya Pradesh to improbable win
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, 27 November 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
The following month he took 4/36 and 6/71 against
Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...
on a green wicket at Eden Gardens, his second ten-wicket match in only his 15th first-class game.Shami's ten wickets give Bengal win
CricInfo ESPN cricinfo (formerly known as Cricinfo or CricInfo) is a sports news website exclusively for the game of cricket. The site features news, articles, live coverage of cricket matches (including liveblogs and scorecards), and ''StatsGuru'', a d ...
, 17 December 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
Know Mohammed Shami, who rattled West Indies batsmen at Eden Test
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, 6 November 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
In the five Ranji Trophy matches he played during the season he took 28 wickets at a
bowling average In cricket, a player's bowling average is the number of runs they have conceded per wicket taken. The lower the bowling average is, the better the bowler is performing. It is one of a number of statistics used to compare bowlers, commonly use ...
of 21.25 runs per wicket, and in the 18 first-class matches he played before his Test match debut in 2013 he took 71 wickets, an average of four wickets each match. Since making his international debut in 2013, Shami has played only occasionally for his state side. He played a limited overs match in March 2017 after not having played any competitive cricket for a period four months,Shami returns in Bengal's loss to Gujarat
CricInfo ESPN cricinfo (formerly known as Cricinfo or CricInfo) is a sports news website exclusively for the game of cricket. The site features news, articles, live coverage of cricket matches (including liveblogs and scorecards), and ''StatsGuru'', a d ...
, 6 March 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
and took part in four Ranji Trophy matches later in 2017, his first for around five years,Muthu, Deivarayan (2017
How India's internationals fared in the opening round
CricInfo ESPN cricinfo (formerly known as Cricinfo or CricInfo) is a sports news website exclusively for the game of cricket. The site features news, articles, live coverage of cricket matches (including liveblogs and scorecards), and ''StatsGuru'', a d ...
, 9 October 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
to develop and maintain his fitness.Dikshit, Vishal (2017
Rotation deepening India's bowling pool
CricInfo ESPN cricinfo (formerly known as Cricinfo or CricInfo) is a sports news website exclusively for the game of cricket. The site features news, articles, live coverage of cricket matches (including liveblogs and scorecards), and ''StatsGuru'', a d ...
, 24 October 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
A single first-class match for Bengal followed in 2018—with the BCCI requesting that he be limited to bowling no more than 15 over in each innings in the match to ensure his fitness for an upcoming Test series.Gollapudi, Nagraj (2018
BCCI limits Shami workload to 15 overs per innings in Ranji match
CricInfo ESPN cricinfo (formerly known as Cricinfo or CricInfo) is a sports news website exclusively for the game of cricket. The site features news, articles, live coverage of cricket matches (including liveblogs and scorecards), and ''StatsGuru'', a d ...
, 17 November 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
More I bowl in Ranji, more it will help in Australia - Shami
CricInfo ESPN cricinfo (formerly known as Cricinfo or CricInfo) is a sports news website exclusively for the game of cricket. The site features news, articles, live coverage of cricket matches (including liveblogs and scorecards), and ''StatsGuru'', a d ...
, 23 November 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2021.


Indian Premier League

Shami was signed by
Kolkata Knight Riders Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are a franchise cricket team representing the city of Kolkata in the Indian Premier League. The franchise is owned by Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, actress Juhi Chawla and her spouse Jay Mehta. The Knight Riders ...
, an
Indian Premier League The Indian Premier League (IPL), also known as TATA IPL for sponsorship reasons, is a men's T20 franchise cricket league of India. It is annually contested by ten teams based out of seven Indian cities and three Indian states. The leagu ...
(IPL) franchise, in 2011; Kolkata's head coach
Dav Whatmore Davenell Frederick Whatmore (born 16 March 1954) is a Sri Lanka born Australian cricket coach and former cricketer. A right-handed batsman, Whatmore played seven Test matches for Australia in 1979, and one One Day International in 1980. At ...
had worked with the Bengal Cricket Association and had identified Shami, who had played Twenty20 matches for Bengal, as a player with potential.KKR sign up three Bengal players
''
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'', 15 January 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
He played a single match for the side in the 2011 Champions League Twenty20, but despite being touted as a player likely to make an impact ahead of the 2012 tournament, he did not play in the IPL until 2013, making three appearances for Kolkata during the season. Ahead of the 2014 season teams were allowed to retain a maximum of five players,IPL franchises allowed to retain up to five players
CricInfo ESPN cricinfo (formerly known as Cricinfo or CricInfo) is a sports news website exclusively for the game of cricket. The site features news, articles, live coverage of cricket matches (including liveblogs and scorecards), and ''StatsGuru'', a d ...
, 24 December 2013. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
and, following his international debut, Shami was signed by
Delhi Daredevils Delhi Capitals (formerly Delhi Daredevils) are a franchise cricket team based out of Delhi in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The franchise is jointly owned by the GMR Group and the JSW Group. The team's home ground is Arun Jaitley Stadium, ...
in the player auction.IPL 2014 Auction: Mohammed Shami sold to Delhi Daredevils for Rs 4.25 crores
Cricket Country, 12 February 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
He played in 12 of Delhi's 14 matches during the season, taking seven wickets; he was retained but did not play a match the following season after being ruled out with a knee injury.Injured Shami to miss rest of IPL season
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, 23 April 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
Muthu, Deivarayan (2016
New haircut, vintage Shami
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, 18 April 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
He played sporadically in the IPL during the following three seasons, making eight appearances for Delhi in 2016 and 2017 and just four in 2018 when he was again hampered by a knee injury. After being released by Delhi ahead of 2019 seasonDelhi Daredevils release Gautam Gambhir, Mohammed Shami ahead of IPL 2019
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, 15 November 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
Shami was bought by
Kings XI Punjab Punjab Kings (PBKS) are a franchise cricket team based in Mohali, Punjab, that plays in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Established in 2008 as the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), the franchise is jointly owned by Mohit Burman, Ness Wadia, Preity Zi ...
in the 2019 player auction. Fit again, he took 19 wickets, registered his first 3-wicket haul in IPL with 3/21 against
Mumbai Indians Mumbai Indians are a franchise cricket team based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, that competes in the Indian Premier League and is the most successful team of the tournament with 5 titles. Founded in 2008, the team is owned by India's biggest conglo ...
at Wankhede Stadium and was the side's leading wicket-taker,Mohammad Shami
Indian Premier League The Indian Premier League (IPL), also known as TATA IPL for sponsorship reasons, is a men's T20 franchise cricket league of India. It is annually contested by ten teams based out of seven Indian cities and three Indian states. The leagu ...
. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
a feat he repeated the following season when he took 20 wickets, the best return of his career.IPL 2021: Mohammed Shami says injury gave him more time to prepare, hopes to continue where he left off
''
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'', 28 March 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
During the season he allowed only five runs during a super over against
Mumbai Indians Mumbai Indians are a franchise cricket team based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, that competes in the Indian Premier League and is the most successful team of the tournament with 5 titles. Founded in 2008, the team is owned by India's biggest conglo ...
, taking the match, which Punjab eventually won, into a second super over.Kishore, Shashank (2020
Mohammad Shami 'believed' in nailing yorkers, Mayank Agarwal thought of Delhi Capitals result
CricInfo ESPN cricinfo (formerly known as Cricinfo or CricInfo) is a sports news website exclusively for the game of cricket. The site features news, articles, live coverage of cricket matches (including liveblogs and scorecards), and ''StatsGuru'', a d ...
, 19 October 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
‘Defending 5 runs against two most explosive batsmen is thoroughly satisfying’: Mohammed Shami recalls epic twin super overs against Mumbai Indians
''
Hindustan Times ''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media, an entity controlled by the KK Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia. It was founded by Sunder Singh Lyall ...
'', 21 November 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
This was the first time in IPL history that a single-digit score had been defended in a super over and earned Shami praise for the way in which he bowled precise
yorker In cricket, a yorker is a ball bowled (a delivery) which hits the cricket pitch around the batsman's feet. When a batsman assumes a normal stance, this generally means that the cricket ball bounces on the cricket pitch on or near the batsman's ...
s under pressure.Muthu, Alagappan (2020
Fluent Rahul tries avoiding chaos, Shami revels in it
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, 19 October 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
Monga, Sidharth (2020
Mohammed Shami cracks the IPL code
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, 30 October 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
In the 2021 season, Shami took 19 wickets in 14 matches and finished as Punjab's leading wicket-taker for the third straight season and as the fifth highest wicket-taker in that year's competition.Most wickets
Indian Premier League The Indian Premier League (IPL), also known as TATA IPL for sponsorship reasons, is a men's T20 franchise cricket league of India. It is annually contested by ten teams based out of seven Indian cities and three Indian states. The leagu ...
. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
During the season he became the fourth bowler in franchise history to take 50 wickets for Punjab.IPL 2021: Mohammed Shami becomes the fourth bowler to claim 50 IPL wickets for PBKS
''
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'', 21 September 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
Ahead of the 2022 IPL auction he was, however, released by the side. He was purchased by
Gujarat Titans Gujarat Titans is a franchise cricket team based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. The Titans compete in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Founded in 2021, Gujarat Titans' home ground is Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera. The franchise is owned by C ...
, a newly formed franchise, for from the marquee group of players. He took 20 wickets at an economy rate of 8.00 runs per over during the season as Gujarat won the league title in their first season.


International cricket


Test career

Shami made his Test debut against
West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...
in November 2013 in front of his home crowd at
Eden Gardens The Eden Gardens is a cricket ground in Kolkata, India. Established in 1864, it is the oldest and second-largest cricket stadium in India and third-largest in the world. The stadium currently has a capacity of 66,000. Eden Gardens is often re ...
,
Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
. There, he took his maiden Test wicket – that of
Kieran Powell Kieran Omar Akeem Powell (born 6 March 1990) is a Nevisian sportsman who has played international cricket for the West Indies. He is a left-handed opening batsman. Having represented the West Indies under-19s at the 2008 Under-19 World Cup, ...
– finishing with figures of 17–2–71–4 in the first innings of the Test match. In the second innings, his figures were 13.1–0–47–5. He had a dream debut, taking nine wickets for 118 runs – the most by an Indian pacer on debut, surpassing
Munaf Patel Munaf Patel (born 12 July 1983) is a former Indian cricketer who played all formats of the game. He has also played for the West Zone in the Duleep Trophy and Gujarat, Mumbai cricket team and Maharashtra cricket team in domestic arena. In Nove ...
's seven wickets for 97 runs at
Mohali Mohali, officially known as Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, is a planned city in the Mohali district in Punjab (India), Punjab, India, which is an administrative and a commercial hub lying south-west of Chandigarh. It is the headquarters of the Moh ...
in 2006. He played Tests against
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
and
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
and picked 6 and 10 wickets respectively. During the 2014 tour of England, Shami took 5 wickets in 3 matches and was involved in a 111-run partnership for the 10th wicket, with
Bhuvneshwar Kumar Bhuvneshwar Kumar Singh (born 5 February 1990) is an Indian international cricketer who is playing for the Indian cricket team. He currently plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League and Uttar Pradesh in domestic cricket. He is ...
in the first Test at
Trent Bridge Trent Bridge Cricket Ground is a cricket ground mostly used for Test, One-Day International and county cricket located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England, just across the River Trent from the city of Nottingham. Trent Bridge is also t ...
, scoring his maiden half-century in the process and helping India post 457 in the first innings. He took 15 wickets in three Tests during the 2014–15 Border Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, and became the 20th Indian fast bowler to take 100 Test wickets, reaching the milestone in 29 Tests. In 2018 he toured England with India, playing in all five Tests. He finished the series with 16 wickets, including six in the fourth Test.


2019–21 ICC World Test Championship

During the 2019–21 ICC World Test Championship, in the 2019 India-West Indies two match test series, Shami took 9 wickets, while he took 13 and 5 wickets in the series against South Africa (2019) and New Zealand (2020) respectively. He was included in the playing XI of the first international pink ball Test match organised in India, at
Eden Gardens The Eden Gardens is a cricket ground in Kolkata, India. Established in 1864, it is the oldest and second-largest cricket stadium in India and third-largest in the world. The stadium currently has a capacity of 66,000. Eden Gardens is often re ...
as the second match of the 2019–20 Bangladesh Tour of India, where he took two wickets. During the tour he also reached seventh position in the
ICC Men's Player Rankings The International Cricket Council Player Rankings is a widely followed system of rankings for international cricketers based on their recent performances. The current sponsor is MRF Tyres who signed a 4-year deal with the ICC that will last un ...
after taking 7 wickets in the first match, with his 790 rating points being the third-best for an India pace bowler with only
Kapil Dev Kapil Dev Ramlal Nikhanj (Pronunciation: əpiːl deːʋ born 6 January 1959) is an Indian former cricketer. He was a fast-medium bowler and a hard-hitting middle-order batsman, and was named by ''Wisden'' as the Indian Cricketer of the Centu ...
(877) and
Jasprit Bumrah Jasprit Jasbirsingh Bumrah (born 6 December 1993) is an Indian international cricketer who plays for the Indian national cricket team in all formats of the game. In the India's domestic cricket, he plays for Gujarat cricket team and Mumbai I ...
(832) having reached a higher rating previously. During the 2020–21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Shami suffered a fracture on his arm while batting against
Pat Cummins Patrick James Cummins (born 8 May 1993) is an Australian international cricketer who captains the Australian cricket team in Test and ODI cricket. He is a fast bowler and right-handed batsman. He plays domestically for New South Wales. Cummi ...
during the second innings of the first Test. He retired hurt while batting and was ruled out of the rest of the series. Shami was the joint 10th highest wicket taker in the tournament, along with
Jofra Archer Jofra Chioke Archer (born 1 April 1995) is a Barbadian-born English cricketer representing England and Sussex. He is a right-arm fast bowler. In April 2019, Archer was selected to play for the England team in limited overs fixtures against Irel ...
, with 40 wickets in total. He was the highest wicket taker among the Indian pacers and the second highest of all Indian bowlers, behind only
Ravichandran Ashwin Ravichandran Ashwin () (born 17 September 1986) is an Indian international cricketer who plays for the Indian cricket team as a bowling All-rounder who bats right-handed and bowls right-arm off-break, he plays for Tamil Nadu in domestic cricke ...
. He also played in the final of the Test Championship, against New Zealand at The Rose Bowl in
Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
and took 4 wickets, all in the first innings.


2021–23 ICC World Test Championship

During the 2021–23 ICC World Test Championship, in the 2021 India-England series, on 16 August 2021, in
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
's second innings, Shami made his highest score and second half-century in Test cricket, with an unbeaten score of 56* in a partnership with Jasprit Bumrah, which helped team India to script a historical win against England. In spite of playing only 3 matches in the 5-match series, Shami finished as the fifth highest wicket-taker of the series with 11 wickets with the best figures of 4/95 coming during the first innings of the third match of the series. During the first innings of the first Test of the India-South Africa 2021–22 Test series, Shami took 5 wickets for 44 runs and became the fifth Indian pacer (and with the fewest number of deliveries – 9896) to take 200 wickets in Test cricket. For his performances, the former head coach of India,
Ravi Shastri Ravishankar Jayadritha Shastri (born 27 May 1962) is the former head coach of the India national cricket team, a cricket commentator and former captain of Indian Cricket Team. As a player, he played for the India national cricket team between 19 ...
lauded him as 'The Sultan of Bengal' on Twitter. At the end of the match, which India eventually won, the Test captain of team India,
Virat Kohli Virat Kohli (; born 5 November 1988) is an Indian international cricketer and former captain of the India national cricket team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time, Kohli plays as a right-handed Batting (cricket), batte ...
eulogised Shami for taking 8 wickets total in the match saying "For me he's in the best three seamers in the world at the moment." He finished the series with 14 wickets from 3 matches as the leading wicket taker of India in the series. In the ongoing 2021–23 World Test Championship, Shami is the fifth-highest wicket-taker with 25 wickets in 6 matches.


ODI career

As a result of his performances in domestic matches, Shami was selected for India's
One Day international A One Day International (ODI) is a form of limited overs cricket, played between two teams with international status, in which each team faces a fixed number of overs, currently 50, with the game lasting up to 9 hours. The Cricket World C ...
(ODI) series against
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
, replacing his
Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
teammate Ashok Dinda and subsequently made his debut in the third ODI of
the series ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
in Delhi on 6 January 2013 and he returned figures of 1/23 from 9 overs in a low-scoring game that India won by 10 runs. In October 2013, he was selected in India's squad to face the touring Australians. After being left out of the team for the first three ODI matches, he played in all the remaining matches, taking seven wickets, including two three-wicket hauls and emerged as the fourth leading wicket-taker of the series. In India's tour of New Zealand in 2014, Shami took 11 wickets in ODIs at an
average In ordinary language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers, usually the sum of the numbers divided by how many numbers are in the list (the arithmetic mean). For example, the average of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 7, ...
of 28.72. On 5 March 2014, during 2014 Asia Cup, against
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
, Shami became the second fastest Indian to take 50 ODI wickets, reaching the feat in 29 innings. He ended the tournament with 9 wickets at 23.59. After losing the Test series by 3–1 against
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
India won the ODI series by 3–1 in which Shami took 8 wickets at 24.16. In 5th ODI he bowled a good spell in the death overs, with tight line and length and middle-stump yorkers. After the match cricket pundits called him the future of Indian bowling. Shami took 10 wickets at 17.40 against
West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...
in October 2014. In the 2nd ODI of the series he got his best bowling figure in ODIs as he picked up 4 wickets for 36 runs in his 9.3 overs. He was in the 15-man squad for 5 ODIs against
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
in November 2014, but he was replaced by
Dhawal Kulkarni Dhawal Sunil Kulkarni (born 10 December 1988) is an Indian cricketer as well as first class cricketer. He is a right arm medium-pace bowler and right-handed lower order batsman. In first class cricket, he plays for Mumbai and in the Indian Pre ...
due to a toe injury he suffered during the West Indies series. For his performances in 2014, he was named in the World ODI XI by the ICC.


2015 ODI World Cup

Shami was in the 15-man squad named for the 2015 World Cup and was eventually included in the playing XI. He took 4 wickets for 35 runs from his 9 overs in India's first match against
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
, helping India win the match. Against West Indies, he was awarded the Man of the Match after finishing with figures 8–2–35–3. He had a good game in the next as well, against
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
, finishing with 3/41 from 9 overs. In the last of the league games, against
Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...
, he took another 3-wicket haul giving away 48 runs from his 9 overs which included two maidens. India went on to win all the league games. He took a brace against
Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
in the quarter final but had a poor game against
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
in the semi-final, which India lost, where he gave away 68 runs off 10 overs without picking a wicket, thus finishing the tournament with 17 wickets at an average of 17.29 and an
economy rate In cricket, a bowler's economy rate is the average number of runs they have conceded per over bowled. In most circumstances, the lower the economy rate is, the better the bowler is performing. It is one of a number of statistics used to compare ...
of 4.81 as the fourth leading wicket-taker. In June, after the conclusion of the tournament, Shami revealed that he bowled through a recurring pain in his left knee. He later underwent a surgery. For his performances in 2015, he was named in the World ODI XI by the ICC. Shami returned to the squad for the
2017 ICC Champions Trophy The 2017 ICC Champions Trophy was the eighth ICC Champions Trophy, a cricket tournament for the eight top-ranked One Day International (ODI) teams in the world. It was held in England and Wales from 1 to 18 June 2017. Pakistan won the competitio ...
after a two-year hiatus due to a shoulder injury. But due to lack of game time, he did not feature in any of the matches of the tournament.


2019 New Zealand Tour

In January 2019, during the tour of New Zealand, Shami claimed his 100th ODI wicket in first of the five games bowling
Martin Guptill Martin James Guptill (born 30 September 1986) is a New Zealand international cricketer who plays as an opening batsman in limited overs formats of the game. Guptill is the first cricketer from New Zealand and the fifth overall to have scored a d ...
out. He became the fastest Indian bowler to claim 100 ODI wickets, reaching the milestone in his 56th match during the first ODI against
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
at Napier. The Indian record of the fastest bowler to claim 100 ODI wickets was previously held by
Irfan Pathan Irfan Pathan (; born 27 October 1984) is a former Indian cricketer turned Commentator, Cricket Analyst, Actor and Dancer. He was a bowling all rounder and a member of the Indian cricket team that won the inaugural 2007 ICC Twenty20 World Cup a ...
, who got there in his 59th match. , the world record is held by Afghanistan leg-spinner,
Rashid Khan Rashid Khan Arman ( ps, ; born 20 September 1998) is an Afghan international cricketer and a former captain of the national team. In franchise leagues, he plays for Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Adelaide Strikers in Austra ...
, who needed only 44 games to reach the mark. Playing in four games throughout the series, Shami took nine wickets at an average of 15.33 and was named man of the series. According to
Sportstar ''Sportstar'' is an Indian monthly Sports magazine, sports magazine published in India by the publishers of ''The Hindu''. Its headquarters is in Chennai. History and profile ''Sportstar'' was established in 1978. The magazine covers interna ...
, this series rejuvenated the white ball carrier of Shami, helping him to book a spot in the
2019 Cricket World Cup The 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup was the 12th Cricket World Cup, a quadrennial One Day International (ODI) cricket tournament contested by men's national teams and organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC). It was hosted between 30 May ...
squad.


2019 ODI Cricket World Cup

In April 2019, he was named in India's squad for the
2019 Cricket World Cup The 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup was the 12th Cricket World Cup, a quadrennial One Day International (ODI) cricket tournament contested by men's national teams and organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC). It was hosted between 30 May ...
for his performances in the white ball cricket. He was one of the only three fast bowlers to feature in the squad, the other two being
Jasprit Bumrah Jasprit Jasbirsingh Bumrah (born 6 December 1993) is an Indian international cricketer who plays for the Indian national cricket team in all formats of the game. In the India's domestic cricket, he plays for Gujarat cricket team and Mumbai I ...
and the white ball specialist,
Bhuvneshwar Kumar Bhuvneshwar Kumar Singh (born 5 February 1990) is an Indian international cricketer who is playing for the Indian cricket team. He currently plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League and Uttar Pradesh in domestic cricket. He is ...
. On 22 June 2019, in the match against
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
, Shami took a
hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wic ...
and became the ninth cricketer and the second Indian bowler after
Chetan Sharma Chetan Sharma (born 3 January 1966) is a former Indian cricketer and politician who played Tests and ODIs as a fast bowler for Indian cricket team. On 24 December 2020, he was elected as Chairman of the selection committee of Indian cricket tea ...
to claim a hat-trick in a World Cup match. On 30 June 2019, in the match against
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, Shami took his first
five-wicket haul In cricket, a five-wicket haul (also known as a "five–for" or "fifer") occurs when a bowler takes five or more wickets in a single innings. This is regarded by critics as a notable achievement, equivalent to a century from a batsman. Takin ...
in ODIs and became the first Indian bowler to take consecutive three four-wicket hauls in the World Cup, with 4/40 against Afghanistan, 4/16 against
West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...
and 5/69 against England. After playing well in 4 back to back matches, the decision to select
Bhuvneshwar Kumar Bhuvneshwar Kumar Singh (born 5 February 1990) is an Indian international cricketer who is playing for the Indian cricket team. He currently plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League and Uttar Pradesh in domestic cricket. He is ...
over Shami raised eyebrows among the cricket pundits, who expressed their displeasure on the decision on Twitter. Although Shami featured only in 4 matches, he took 14 wickets, making him the 12th-highest wicket taker in the tournament, and the second best Indian, behind Jasprit Bumrah (who took 18 wickets in 9 matches). He had the best bowling strike rate of 15.07 and the best average of 13.78 of all the bowlers in the tournament with at least six overs bowled. With 42 wickets from 21 matches in 2019, Shami finished the year as the leading wicket-taker in ODIs. Shami was part of the three match ODI series between India and Australia in 2020, which team India eventually won by 2–1 margin. After going wicketless in the first match, he took 7 wickets in the next two matches and finished the series as the leading wicket-taker. Following the series, Shami's ability to bowl
yorker In cricket, a yorker is a ball bowled (a delivery) which hits the cricket pitch around the batsman's feet. When a batsman assumes a normal stance, this generally means that the cricket ball bounces on the cricket pitch on or near the batsman's ...
s persistently and taking wickets during the powerplay and death overs were greatly applauded. In December, he was included in the squad of team India for the series against Australia in the Australian soil and he took 4 wickets in the 2 ODIs he played.


T20I career

Shami made his debut in
Twenty20 International A Twenty20 International (T20I) is a form of cricket, played between two of the international members of the International Cricket Council (ICC), in which each team faces a maximum of twenty overs. The matches have top-class status and are the ...
s (T20I) on 21 March 2014 against
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
in the opening match of the 2014 T20 World Cup and took the wicket of
Umar Akmal Umar Akmal (Urdu, pa, ; born 26 May 1990) is a Pakistani cricketer who played for Pakistan national cricket team between 2009 and 2019. He was banned by the Pakistan Cricket Board for eighteen months for not disclosing offers related to spot ...
, to give him figures of 1/31 in 4 overs bowled. He played the next two matches, but was then dropped for the rest of the tournament. He was included in the side in 2014 tour of England, following the Test series, in July. He played in the lone match of the series and finished with 3 wickets conceding 38 runs. Shami returned to the squad for
2016 ICC World Twenty20 The 2016 ICC World Twenty20 was the sixth edition of the ICC World Twenty20, the world championship of Twenty20 International cricket. It was held in India from 8 March to 3 April 2016, and was the first edition to be hosted by India. Seven ...
after spending more than two years recuperating from the shoulder injury, but due to lack of form and game time, he did not feature in any of the matches of the tournament.


2021 T20 World Cup

Although Shami had not performed as well in T20Is as he had in the other two formats, he was picked in the
2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup The 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup was the seventh ICC Men's T20 World Cup tournament, with the matches played in the United Arab Emirates and Oman from 17 October to 14 November 2021. The West Indies were the defending champions, but were eventua ...
for his performances in three consecutive
Indian Premier League The Indian Premier League (IPL), also known as TATA IPL for sponsorship reasons, is a men's T20 franchise cricket league of India. It is annually contested by ten teams based out of seven Indian cities and three Indian states. The leagu ...
seasons.India's T20 World Cup squad: Why Rahul Chahar and not Chahal? How did Ashwin make the cut?
CricInfo ESPN cricinfo (formerly known as Cricinfo or CricInfo) is a sports news website exclusively for the game of cricket. The site features news, articles, live coverage of cricket matches (including liveblogs and scorecards), and ''StatsGuru'', a d ...
, 9 September 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
He was one of the three fast bowlers in the main squad, the other two being Jasprit Bumrah and the white-ball specialist, Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He was the only cricketer from
Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...
in the squad. Discussing the inclusion of Shami in team India's squad,
ESPNcricinfo ESPN cricinfo (formerly known as Cricinfo or CricInfo) is a sports news website exclusively for the game of cricket. The site features news, articles, live coverage of cricket matches (including liveblogs and scorecards), and ''StatsGuru'', a ...
wrote: "Bowling at the death is probably what gave Shami an edge over
Deepak Chahar Deepak Chahar (born 7 August 1992) is an Indian international cricketer. He is a right-arm medium pace swing bowler, who plays for Rajasthan in domestic cricket and Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League. In 2019, he became the fir ...
and
Shardul Thakur Shardul Narendra Thakur (born 16 October 1991) is an Indian international cricketer. He is a bowling all-rounder who bats right-handed and bowls right arm medium pace. Domestic career Thakur was initially criticized for his lack of height for ...
oth in the reserves who have had greater success up top. Shami has got 14 death-over wickets since IPL 2020, which is the same as Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur and
Mohammed Siraj Mohammed Siraj (born 13 March 1994) is an Indian international cricketer who plays for the Indian national cricket team as a Right-arm fast medium bowler. He plays for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League and Hyderabad in dom ...
combined. He can move the ball both ways, as he's shown ample times in the past, and as a bonus, he has the undefinable ability to be unplayable regardless of format when he gets into his rhythm". Shami went wicketless in the first two matches of the tournament, before setting career-best figures in consecutive matches against
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
(with the figures of 3/32) and
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
with 3/15. Shami played every match for
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
in the tournament.


2022 T20 World Cup

Shami was initially placed on stand-by for
2022 T20 World Cup The 2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup was the eighth ICC Men's T20 World Cup tournament. It was played in Australia from 16 October to 13 November 2022. Although originally scheduled to be held in 2020, in July 2020, the International Cricket Counci ...
, but after
Jasprit Bumrah Jasprit Jasbirsingh Bumrah (born 6 December 1993) is an Indian international cricketer who plays for the Indian national cricket team in all formats of the game. In the India's domestic cricket, he plays for Gujarat cricket team and Mumbai I ...
was ruled out of the tournament after sustaining a back injury he was named as Bumrah's replacement.


Records

* Shami took nine wickets in his debut Test match in 2013, the most by an Indian fast bowler on debut. *On 5 March 2014, he became the second fastest Indian bowler to take 50 ODI wickets. * In January 2019, Shami became the fastest Indian bowler to take 100 ODI wickets. * In June 2019, he became the second Indian to take a hat-trick in a World Cup match. *Highest wicket-taker in ODIs in 2019. * In September 2021, Shami became the fourth bowler to have taken 50 wickets for Punjab Kings. *In December 2021, he became the third fastest Indian pacer with the least number of deliveries to take 200 Test wickets. *, Shami has the 10th career-best strike rate in One Day Internationals. *He holds the record of most consecutive four wickets in an innings in One Day Internationals (3).


Bowling style

Shami is a right-arm
fast bowler Fast bowling (also referred to as pace bowling) is one of two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket, the other being spin bowling. Practitioners of pace bowling are usually known as ''fast'' bowlers, ''quicks'', or ''pacemen''. T ...
who has the ability to move the ball off the seam and using swing, including
reverse swing Swing bowling is a technique used for bowling in the sport of cricket. Practitioners are known as swing bowlers. Swing bowling is generally classed as a subtype of fast bowling. The aim of swing bowling is to cause the ball to move in the ai ...
, to move the ball both ways. He has bowled persistently at around , with his highest bowling speed being 153.2 km/h against Australia during the 2014 series at
MCG The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), also known locally as "The 'G", is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria. Founded and managed by the Melbourne Cricket Club, it is the largest stadium in the Southern Hem ...
. According to
ESPNcricinfo ESPN cricinfo (formerly known as Cricinfo or CricInfo) is a sports news website exclusively for the game of cricket. The site features news, articles, live coverage of cricket matches (including liveblogs and scorecards), and ''StatsGuru'', a ...
, the secret of Shami's success lies in his wrist with his run-up and action being quite smooth. Earlier he used to be accused of straying to leg once too often for searching wickets, but now he has shifted the line of attack to the left ever so slightly. As a result, when he bowls in the channel, he really does bowl in the channel. His wicket taking ability and bowling reverse swing make him one of the lethal bowlers of the world and which his why he has been described as 'unplayable' at times regardless of the formats. Shami's ability of bowling yorkers continuously at much needed times has been discussed and praised by several former cricketers and critics. His wrist is firmly cocked at the point of delivery and his slightly split fingers come down so straight that the seam invariably comes out bolt upright.


Outside cricket

Shami's father and his three brothers all played cricket, with one brother,
Mohammed Kaif Mohammad Kaif () (born 1 December 1980) is a former Indian cricketer, who played Tests and ODIs. He made it to the national team on the strength of his performances at the Under-19 level, where he captained the India national under-19 cricke ...
, making his
List A List A cricket is a classification of the limited-overs (one-day) form of the sport of cricket, with games lasting up to eight hours. List A cricket includes One Day International (ODI) matches and various domestic competitions in which the numbe ...
debut for
Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...
in 2021. During the COVID-19 lockdown in India in 2020 Shami trained alongside his brother in their home village of Sahaspur. During the lockdown Shami and his family helped to provide food for people in their village.My family ensured I was never alone during the time I felt suicidal: Mohammed Shami
''
Hindustan Times ''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media, an entity controlled by the KK Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia. It was founded by Sunder Singh Lyall ...
'', 19 June 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
Shami married Hasin Jahan in 2014. The couple have one child.Mohammed Shami Biography, Achievements, Records, Career info & Stats
Sports Tiger. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
In 2020 Shami spoke about the impact that injuries and a string of allegations made by his wife had had on his mental health. He spoke of considering suicide on three occasions and credited his family with supporting him through the period.'Thought of committing suicide' – Shami reveals struggle with mental health
''
Wisden ''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'', or simply ''Wisden'', colloquially the Bible of Cricket, is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom. The description "bible of cricket" was first used in the 1930s by Alec Waugh in a ...
'', 3 May 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
Personal issues of 2018 brought on suicidal thoughts, says Mohammed Shami
CricInfo ESPN cricinfo (formerly known as Cricinfo or CricInfo) is a sports news website exclusively for the game of cricket. The site features news, articles, live coverage of cricket matches (including liveblogs and scorecards), and ''StatsGuru'', a d ...
, 3 May 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2021.


Domestic abuse allegations

In March 2018, a
First Information Report __NOTOC__ A first information report (FIR) is a document prepared by police organisations in Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asian countries including Myanmar, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan when they receive information about the commissio ...
was lodged against Shami and members of his family by his wife, Hasin Jahan, citing
domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...
and adultery.FIR against cricketer Mohammed Shami for domestic violence
''
The Times of India ''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest ...
'', 9 March 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
Mohammad Shami: Contract on hold after adultery and domestic violence claims
BBC Sport BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC, providing national sports coverage for BBC television, radio and online. The BBC holds the television and radio UK broadcasting rights to several sports, broadcasting the sport live or alongside flag ...
, 8 March 2018. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
Cricketer charged with domestic violence
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...
, 9 March 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
A claim of rape was also made against Shami's elder brother. Shami was charged with offences relating to domestic violence, attempted murder, poisoning and criminal intimidation.Adultery, domestic abuse claims against me a conspiracy, says Mohammed Shami
''
The Indian Express ''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932. It is published in Mumbai by the Indian Express Group. In 1999, eight years after the group's founder Ramnath Goenka's death in 1991, the group was split betw ...
'', 9 March 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
Shami denied all of the allegations, claiming that they were a conspiracy and had been made to distract him from cricket. The
Board of Control for Cricket in India The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is the national governing body for cricket in India. Its headquarters are situated at Cricket centre, Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The BCCI is the richest governing body of cricket in the world ...
(BCCI) withheld Shami from their national contracts list as a result of the allegations.Monga, Sidharth; Gollapudi, Nagraj (2018
Shami's BCCI contract withheld amid allegations of domestic trouble
CricInfo ESPN cricinfo (formerly known as Cricinfo or CricInfo) is a sports news website exclusively for the game of cricket. The site features news, articles, live coverage of cricket matches (including liveblogs and scorecards), and ''StatsGuru'', a d ...
, 7 March 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
His wife also claimed that Shami had been involved in
match-fixing In organized sports, match fixing is the act of playing or officiating a match with the intention of achieving a pre-determined result, violating the rules of the game and often the law. There are many reasons why match fixing might take place, ...
. This was investigated by the anti-corruption unit run by the BCCI and on 22 March the board reinstated Shami's national contract, clearing him of the corruption charges.India renews Mohammad Shami cricket contract after violence charge
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...
, 23 March 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
Mohammed Shami cleared of match fixing charges by BCCI, can play IPL
''
The Indian Express ''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932. It is published in Mumbai by the Indian Express Group. In 1999, eight years after the group's founder Ramnath Goenka's death in 1991, the group was split betw ...
'', 22 March 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
Shami offered Grade B contract as corruption investigation ends
Cricbuzz Cricbuzz is an Indian cricket news website owned by Times Internet. It features, news, articles and live coverage of cricket matches including videos, text commentary, player stats and team rankings. Their website also offers a mobile app. Cr ...
, 22 March 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2018
On 2 September 2019, a court in
Alipore Alipore (Pron:ˌɑ:lɪˈpɔ:) is a neighbourhood in south Kolkata, in Kolkata district, in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is flanked by the Tolly Nullah to the north, Bhowanipore to the east, the Diamond Harbour Road to the west and New ...
issued an arrest warrant against Shami in connection to the domestic violence charges, providing him with 15 days after his return to India to turn himself in.Arrest warrant against Mohammed Shami in domestic violence case
CricInfo ESPN cricinfo (formerly known as Cricinfo or CricInfo) is a sports news website exclusively for the game of cricket. The site features news, articles, live coverage of cricket matches (including liveblogs and scorecards), and ''StatsGuru'', a d ...
, 3 September 2019. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
The warrant was stayed by a district court on 9 September because the court that had issued the warrant failed to issue a summons to appear in court after filing the charge sheet.Alipore Court Stays Arrest Warrant For Cricket Star Mohammed Shami
NDTV Sports New Delhi Television Ltd is an Indian news media company focusing on broadcast and digital news publication. The company is considered to be a legacy brand that pioneered independent news broadcasting in India, and is credited for launching t ...
, 9 September 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.


Victim of online abuse

In October 2021, Shami, the only Muslim player in India's side at the time, became victim to an online trolling campaignIndia cricket legends rally behind Mohammed Shami after ‘shocking’ online abuse due to his faith
''
Wisden ''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'', or simply ''Wisden'', colloquially the Bible of Cricket, is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom. The description "bible of cricket" was first used in the 1930s by Alec Waugh in a ...
'', 25 October 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
Dhillon, Amrit (2021
Indian police arrest seven for ‘celebrating’ Pakistan cricket win
''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', 28 October 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
and was subjected to a range of abuse, much of it
Islamophobic Islamophobia is the fear of, hatred of, or prejudice against the religion of Islam or Muslims in general, especially when seen as a geopolitical force or a source of terrorism. The scope and precise definition of the term ''Islamophobia'' ...
, on
social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...
following India's loss to Pakistan during the
2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup The 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup was the seventh ICC Men's T20 World Cup tournament, with the matches played in the United Arab Emirates and Oman from 17 October to 14 November 2021. The West Indies were the defending champions, but were eventua ...
.ICC T20 World Cup: India arrests Muslims for cheering Pakistan cricket team
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...
, 28 October 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
T20 World Cup: Mohammed Shami subjected to online abuse after India suffer defeat against Pakistan
''
Hindustan Times ''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media, an entity controlled by the KK Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia. It was founded by Sunder Singh Lyall ...
'', 28 October 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
He had conceded 43 runs during the match and was India's most expensive bowler.Kohli backs Shami after social media abuse: 'Attacking someone over religion is the most pathetic thing'
CricInfo ESPN cricinfo (formerly known as Cricinfo or CricInfo) is a sports news website exclusively for the game of cricket. The site features news, articles, live coverage of cricket matches (including liveblogs and scorecards), and ''StatsGuru'', a d ...
, 30 October 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
Several current and former cricketers, including India's captain
Virat Kohli Virat Kohli (; born 5 November 1988) is an Indian international cricketer and former captain of the India national cricket team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time, Kohli plays as a right-handed Batting (cricket), batte ...
, publicly supported Shami following the abuse,'Respect your stars': Rizwan lends support to India's Shami amidst social media hate following match loss
Dawn, 26 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
Past and present India cricketers back Shami after pacer faces online abuse
''
The Times of India ''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest ...
'', 25 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
with Kohli specifically addressing the Islamophobic nature of the abuse Shami had received.Calling it like Kohli: When India needed their captain to stand up, he stood tall
CricInfo ESPN cricinfo (formerly known as Cricinfo or CricInfo) is a sports news website exclusively for the game of cricket. The site features news, articles, live coverage of cricket matches (including liveblogs and scorecards), and ''StatsGuru'', a d ...
, 31 October 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2021.


See also

*
List of India cricketers who have taken five-wicket hauls on Test debut In cricket, a five-wicket haul (also known as a "five–for" or "fifer") refers to a bowler taking five or more wickets in a single innings. A five-wicket haul on debut is regarded by critics as a notable achievement. As of July 2022, 161 cri ...


Notes


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Shami, Mohammed 1990 births Living people Indian cricketers Indian Muslims Bengal cricketers East Zone cricketers Kolkata Knight Riders cricketers Delhi Capitals cricketers Punjab Kings cricketers India Twenty20 International cricketers India One Day International cricketers One Day International hat-trick takers India Test cricketers Cricketers who have taken five wickets on Test debut Cricketers at the 2015 Cricket World Cup Cricketers at the 2019 Cricket World Cup Gujarat Titans cricketers