Mohammed Shami created history with his match-winning five-wicket haul against Sri Lanka at the ODI World Cup.
Producing a devastating spell against Sri Lanka in match No.33 of the ICC World Cup 2023, speedster Mohammed Shami complemented pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj to trigger a shocking batting collapse of the 1996 world champions at the Wankhede Stadium. Speedster Shami bagged his fourth five-wicket haul in One Day Internationals (ODIs) to shatter another bowling record as Rohit Sharma's Team India thrashed Sri Lanka by 302 runs at Mumbai.
Overtaking bowling icons Zaheer Khan and Javagal Srinath, pace ace Shami became the leading wicket-taker for India at the ODI World Cup. Positioning himself in the pantheon of greats at the grandest stage of them all - the World Cup, senior fast bowler Shami has taken 45 wickets for the Men In Blue in just 14 innings. While pacer Shami achieved the staggering feat in 14 innings, former India pacer Zaheer Khan bagged 44 wickets in 23 innings. Ex-India fast bowler Javagal Srinath also picked up 44 wickets (34 innings) at the World Cup.
Talking about Shami's match-winning performance, the fast bowler made his presence felt by dismissing Charith Asalanka in the 10th over. Shami handed ducks to Dushan Hemantha and Dushmantha Chameera as Sri Lanka folded for just 55 in 19.4 overs. The veteran pacer removed Kasun Rajitha for 14 in the 17th over to become India's leading wicket-taker at the ODI World Cup. Pacer Shami bagged five wickets and conceded 18 runs in 5 overs. With the massive 302-run win over India, Shami-starrer Team India became the first side to enter the semi-final of the ICC World Cup.
'Always focus on hitting the good areas'
"I always focus on hitting the good areas and length. Very happy (on becoming India's leading wicket-taker in World Cups) It's very important to be in rhythm in white ball cricket and hit the good areas. If you hit the good areas with the new ball you will get assistance off the pitch and for me length matters a lot. The kind of support we get from the crowd, I want to thank each and every one of them. We also get a lot of support whenever we travel outside India as well. The dressing room is in a very good space," Shami said after he was named the Player of the Match.