(Image: instagram/mdshami.11)
As the Indian team presented a ‘Shami Show’ in the World Cup match against the New Zealand on Sunday, Congress leader and MP Shashi Tharoor’s recent predictions are surfacing as vindicated about Shami’s capacity and caliber in Team India. Two days prior to the match, the Congress MP-cum-cricket pundit expressed his wish to see Shami on the pitch replacing Hardik Pandya. Hardik is reportedly suffering injuries.
It was a ‘Shami Day’ for India as the team’s right-arm fast bowler Mohammed Shami Ahmed enjoyed a five-wicket-haul against the Black Caps and presented the gallery a spectacular show in Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh. It is the 21st match of 2023 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup series and the show-stopper was destined to wait in the pavilion for the initial four matches of India and sent to field after Hardik Pandya met an injury.
The performance is just sensational, as Shami picked up his second five-wicket-haul in Cricket World Cup matches, and India restricted New Zealand to 273 runs from the 50 overs. With the remarkable achievement, the bowling card read 5/54 in 10 overs – and Shami rose to history as the first Indian pacer to achieve two five-wicket-hauls in the ODI World Cups.
Mohammed Shami picked up a five-wicket haul on his return to the starting XI 🙌#CWC23 #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/py7uonKts9
— ICC (@ICC) October 22, 2023
Shami was introduced as the first change bowler in the 9th over of the innings and struck Will Young in his very first delivery of the match. He then put an end to the Darly Mitchell – Rachin Ravindra 159 partnership as he bowled at length to Ravindra who failed an attempt to clear the boundary. The catch was taken by Shubman Gill. The next token was sent to Daryl Mitchell whose catch was taken by Virat Kohli. Shami sent back Mitchell Santner and Matt Henry in his successive attacks.
Shami’s first five-wicket-haul in the ODI World Cup was against England in the 2019 series. He has surpassed the Anil Kumble set record of 31 wickets in the ODI World Cups – Shami has 36 now and stands behind Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan, both of whom have claimed 44 wickets each in the tournament, says reports.
As Shami took the discussion circles today with the fantastic deliveries, Congress leader and MP Shashi Tharoor’s name is also surfacing as Mr Tharoor’s prediction on Shami went 100% true in real. The Congress leader on Friday took to his X (formerly Twitter) handle as Hardik Pandya had been avoided of injuries, the Sunday match would better replace with Shami, as it will determine which team is really top dog at the “round-robin stage of” the 2023 World Cup.
Shami 5/54! So good to be vindicated by a player you’ve been supporting! He should be picked every time we need three pacers. And who says he can’t bat? He wields the willow with a pretty effective long handle! https://t.co/Q9c6F6WIpp
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) October 22, 2023
After Shami’s stunning extravaganza, Mr Tharoor re-tweeted the old post saying that, “so good to be vindicated by a player you’ve been supporting”. “He should be picked every time we need three pacers. And who says he can’t bat? He wields the willow with a pretty effective long handle!”, he added.
