Mohammed Shami Birthday Special: 3/21 vs Mumbai Indians & Other Impressive Performances by KXIP Pacer in IPL
Mohammed Shami celebrates his 30th birthday on Thursday (September 3). Hailing from Uttar Pradesh, the right-arm speedster is a vital cog of the Indian team across formats, and his record is nothing short of staggering. Shami can move the ball both ways with a brisk pace, and his ability to nail the yorker at will makes him a captain’s delight.
One of the pacers going around in world cricket, Mohammed Shami celebrates his 30th birthday on Thursday (September 3). Hailing from Uttar Pradesh, the right-arm speedster is a vital cog of the Indian team across formats, and his record is nothing short of staggering. Shami can move the ball both ways with a brisk pace, and his ability to nail the yorker at will makes him a captain’s delight. Along with thriving in international cricket, the star pacer has also proved his mettle in the Indian Premier League. In fact, Shami is all set to lead Kings XI Punjab pace attack in IPL 2020 and will aim to guide the side to their maiden title. Mohammed Shami Sprints With His Pet Dog Jack to Improve Running Speed.
Making his IPL debut in 2013 for Kolkata Knight Riders, Shami impressed one and all with his pace and accuracy. However, regular injuries never allowed the pacer to get a long run. After playing one season for KKR, Shami was bought by Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) where he played four seasons but didn’t perform as per expectations. However, the pacer was drafted to KXIP in the previous seasons, and his fortunes were changed. He scalped 19 wickets from just 14 games and finished as the highest wicket-taker of the side. Meanwhile, as Shami turns a year older, let’s look back at some of his best performances in IPL. KXIP Team Profile for IPL 2020: Kings XI Punjab Squad in UAE, Stats & Records and Full List of Players Ahead of Indian Premier League Season 13.
2/34 vs Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2016
RCB batsmen were on a roll in their match against Delhi Daredevils at Bangalore. However, Shami bowled an impressive spell and applied brakes on the run-scoring. He dismissed the likes of Shane Wason and skipper Virat Kohli in quick successions as RCB could manage only 191/5 despite a brilliant start. The total didn’t prove to be enough as the Daredevils won the game by seven wickets.
3/21 vs Mumbai Indians in 2019
Batsmen enjoyed a gala time when Kings XI Punjab locked horns with Mumbai Indians in Wankhede Stadium. However, Shami just didn’t bowl economically but also picked wickets regularly. He dismissed the likes of Hardik & Krunal Pandya and kept KXIP in the hunt till the last over. However, he didn’t get support from other bowlers, and the Kieron Pollard-led side won the game by three wickets.
2/17 vs Chennai Super Kings in 2019
Mohammed Shami put up an exhibition of death bowling when KXIP met CSK in Mohali. Chennai were cruising towards a mammoth first-innings total thanks to centuries from Faf du Plessis and Suresh Raina. However, the star pacer bowled a spectacular spell in the end overs as CSK could only post 170/5 on a batting-friendly track. KXIP didn’t face much trouble while chasing the target as they won the match by six wickets.
As of now, Shami is preparing for IPL 2020 in Dubai and will be determined to make guide KXIP to their maiden IPL title. He, however, face a different challenge this time as the pitches in UAE are known to favour the spinners more. Nevertheless, the veteran pacer has proved his mettle in several conditions and will want to thrive in UAE too.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 03, 2020 08:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).