Shami (Mohammed Shami) broke records:
Mohammed Shami became the first Indian bowler to take seven wickets in a World Cup match during the semi-final against New Zealand in Mumbai yesterday. These are his best figures so far in the World Cup. He has taken 5 or 5 wickets thrice in this World Cup. He took the wickets of Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Kane Williamson, Tom Latham, Lockie Ferguson and Tim Southee. With these seven wickets, Shami reached the top among the highest wicket takers in this edition of the World Cup.
- Mohammed Shami achieved the feat of taking 5 wickets for the fourth time in the World Cup.
- Shami is the first bowler to take five wickets four times in the World Cup.
- Shami has come close to Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc with 51 wickets in the ODI World Cup.
Excellent performance by Mohammed Shami:
Mohammed Shami also became the fastest bowler to take 50 wickets in the ODI World Cup during the semi-final against New Zealand. The Indian fast bowler has come close to Starc’s record in his 17th ODI World Cup innings.
This extraordinary achievement puts Shami in an elite league of brilliant bowlers including Mitchell Starc, Trent Boult, Wasim Akram, Muttiah Muralitharan, Lasith Malinga and Glenn McGrath. Notably, McGrath leads the list with 71 wickets, followed by Muralitharan (68), Starc (58), Boult (52), Wasim (55), Malinga (56), and Shami (51).
With a formidable bowling average of over 13 in the World Cup, Shami has displayed a state of bowling skill that makes him a top bowler in his own right. No other bowler who has taken at least 25 wickets in the World Cup is really close, with an average not below 16. Shami’s initial World Cup campaign in 2015 was nothing short of sensational, taking a remarkable haul of 17 wickets in seven matches, averaging 17.29.
Despite playing only four matches in the 2019 edition, he made a deep impact by taking 14 wickets at an astonishing average of 13.78. In the current event, his excellent form has continued as he has taken 20 wickets in just six matches, further cementing his character as an undoubted force in the world of international cricket.
The special thing is that Shami (Mohammed Shami) was not in the Indian lineup for the first four matches of the 2023 World Cup. But, since his comeback against New Zealand in the group stage, he has been impenetrable and has been taking wickets at will. He took 5 wickets against New Zealand and Sri Lanka and became the leading wicket taker for India in the ODI World Cup.
