Mohammed Shami Reveals He Played the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 With Knee Injury, Says ‘I Couldn’t Walk After the Matches’

India’s star pacer Mohammed Shami enjoyed a sensational run during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 in Australia and New Zealand. The right-arm speedster was at the peak of his prowess throughout the tournament and his tally of 17 wickets from 7 games was the fourth-highest for any bowler in the tournament. Recently, however, the talismanic pacer revealed that he played the whole tournament with an injured knee which might shock many cricket fans. He said that he wasn’t even able to walk after the matches. However, the confidence of the then team’s physio Nitin Patel helped him to get going. Mohammed Shami Provides Food to Labourer Who Fainted in Hunger Near His Home.

"I had knee injury during the 2015 World Cup. I couldn't walk after the matches I played throughout the tournament with the injury. I played the 2015 WC because of Nitin Patel's confidence. The knee broke in the first match itself. My thighs and knees were the same size, doctors used to take out fluid from them everyday. I used to take 3 painkillers," the star pacer told Irfan Pathan during a chat on Instagram live.

Further in the conversation, Shami also said that his condition became even worse before the all-important semi-final match against Australia but the team’s then skipper MS Dhoni motivated him on carry on playing and he was able to participate in the game. He also said that 4mm piece of his bone was chipped off and many believed that his career was over.

"Mahi bhai, the team management gave me so much confidence. They said it's the semifinal we cannot go for a new bowler. "I bowled the first 5 overs and gave away about 13 runs with a wicket. I beat Finch and Warner's bats but couldn't get the edge. So I went off after telling Mahi bhai. The condition was very bad even after I took an injection. I told Mahi bhai that I cannot bowl because I cannot run any longer. But he told me I trust you, any other part-timer will also go for runs,” he added.

“He just told me don't give away more than 60 runs. I haven't played in a worse condition than that. 4mm piece had chipped off the bone. Some said my career was over, some said I shouldn't have played. But touchwood I'm still here now in front of you all,” said the pacer.

Unfortunately, however, the Men in Blue lost the game by 95 runs and were eventually knocked out of the tournament. Nevertheless, he made a comeback in international cricket a year after and currently is a vital cog of the Indian team across formats.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 16, 2020 08:53 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).