Pacer Mohammed Shami still wonders why he was benched during the 2019 World Cup semi-final between India and New Zealand which the Blues lost under the captaincy of Virat Kohli.
Shami didn’t play in the first few matches in 2019 World Cup but he was eventually included in the playing XI and the right-armer bagged 13 wickets in just three matches.
Despite his outstanding performances in the three matches he got to play, Shami was not part of India’s playing XI that took the field against New Zealand in the semi-final.
“In 2019, I did not play the first 4–5 games. In the next game, I took a hat-trick, then picked up a five-wicket haul and then four wickets in the next game. A similar thing happened in 2023. I did not play in the first few games and then picked a fifer, then four wickets and then a five-wicket haul again,” Shami said while talking on a podcast.
“The one thing I keep wondering is every team needs players who can perform well. I took 13 wickets in three matches. What more do you expect from me? I neither have questions nor do I have answers.”
Shami was the top wicket-taker in the ODI World Cup 2023 — which India lost to Australia — as he bagged 24 scalps from just seven matches including a seven-wicket spell in the semi-final against the Black Caps.
“I can only prove myself when I get the opportunity. You gave me a chance, and I took 13 wickets in three matches. Then we lost to New Zealand. Played four matches overall and picked 14 wickets. In 2023, I picked 24 wickets in seven matches,” Shami added.
Shami has been sidelined ever since the ODI World Cup as he underwent surgery and also missed the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023-24 for Gujarat Titans. He has started practice in the nets but the date of his return is yet to be known.
