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SPORTS FEBRUARY 28, 2025 | The Indian Eye 39

MOHAMMED SHAMI

How India’ underrated bowler became the

undisputed champion of ICC ODI events

Shami has five five-wicket hauls in ICC ODI events, two more than Australian

stars Glenn McGrath, Mitchell Starc and Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman. Four

of these fifers have come in the World Cup

OUR BUREAU
Mumbai
ndian pace veteran Mohammed Shami continues
to be a success story that keeps inspiring. After
Ibattling an injury that kept him out of action for
over a year and some off-colour international outings,
the 34-year-old delivered when it mattered the most:
A five-wicket haul in an all-important ICC Cham-
pions Trophy campaign opener against Bangladesh.
Shami overtook legendary Zaheer Khan to be-
come India’s top wicket-taker in ODI ICC events,
with 60 scalps. Among all the bowlers who have
bowled at least 10 innings across two ODI tourna-
ments, the 50-over World Cup and Champions Tro-
phy, the bowler has the best average (13.28) and best
strike rate (15.5), as per Wisden.
Shami has five five-wicket hauls in ICC ODI
events, two more than Australian stars Glenn Mc-
Grath, Mitchell Starc and Bangladesh’s Mustafizur
Rahman. Four of these fifers have come in the
World Cup.
He also accomplished 200 ODI wickets in this
match, becoming the fastest Indian to do so and
third-fastest overall. In terms of balls taken, he is the Mohammed Shami celebrates a dismissal during the match against Bangladesh in the ICC Champions Trophy, 2025, at Dubai
fastest to the milestone, with his double century of
wickets coming in 5,126 balls. International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on Thursday. (ANI)
Shami has featured in 104 out of 251 ODIs
played since his debut in January 2013 and still down to 19.15. self-doubt, but yet he was back in Indian colours in
has fifth-most scalps by an Indian pacer and over- His ODI career has been defined by sporadic Dubai, shattering records and reaching new heights.
all, at eighth spot among all Indian bowlers. In this appearances. Since 2020, he has played just 31 ODIs, Shami is at his best statistically as a first-change
time period, no other Indian bowler has managed with 19 coming in 2023. He played no ODIs in 2021 bowler, brought after first two new ball bowlers. He
200 wickets in ODIs and only Mitchell Starc, Adil and three in 2022. 2023 was his best ODI year ever averages 18.45 in 22 innings and has 55 scalps at a
Rashid and Trent Boult have more wickets. with 43 scalps at an average of 16.46. strike rate of 20.1. He took the same role during the
Among all bowlers with at least 200 ODI wick- Shami’s career has been halted by numerous inju- 2023 WC, cleaning house after Jasprit Bumrah and
ets, Shami has the best strike rate (25.4) ever, outdo- ries. He has often featured in World Cups for his coun- Mohammed Siraj wreaked havoc with new ball. Be-
ing greats like Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne, try while taking pain-killer injections and medicines. fore this, Shami had taken this position in 2019, after
Wasim Akram, Brett Lee. Glenn McGrath, Waqar During the 2015 WC, he finished as the fourth-high- that year’s World Cup.
Younis, Mitchell Starc among several others. est wicket-taker with 17 wickets in seven matches. But he is fine with the new ball as well. With the
The bowler has taken six five-wicket hauls in In 2017, he could not play in the Champions new ball, his bowling average of 25.63 is comparable
104 innings. Among all bowlers who have more than Trophy due to a shoulder issue and could just play to stars like Dale Steyn, Waqar and Shaheen Shah
five five-wicket hauls in ODIs, Shami’s ratio of five- five ODIs between 2015 WC end and start of 2019. Afridi, and and is outdone only by Bumrah. In 78
for-to-innings is 17.3, only behind Australia’s Mitch- Yet Shami had a fine showing in 2019 WC, 14 wick- innings with the new ball, he has taken 144 wickets.
ell Starc (14.1). Only Waqar and Boult manage to ets in four matches at an average of around 13. Shami hits the deck relentlessly with seam and
have sub-20 ratio here. Fast forward four years later, Shami had a dream can get movement off the pitch either way. It also
As numbers reflect, Shami is not bothered by WC outing, ending as top-wicket-taker with 24 wick- helps him get extra lift, something which he manages
conditions and tends to dominate across several ets in seven matches at an average of 10.70. But he even with a semi-new ball. About 66 per cent of his
match and pitch conditions. His home and away ended up injuring his ankle and a lengthy rehab pe- batters are top-order batters and in overs 11-20, he
ODI averages are pretty much the same: 24.89 riod followed the tournament. After that in train- averages 17.7. Exactly 90 per cent of his dismissals
versus 24.57. In neutral venues, that number slides ing, Shami looked slower and bulkier and battled have been to batters with scores between 0 to nine.

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