World Cup 2023: India pacer Jasprit Bumrah lauded colleague Mohammed Shami as a game icon after his spectacular four-wicket haul in India’s 100-run triumph over England on October 29 in Lucknow.
Jasprit Bumrah, a star Indian pacer, praised his bowling partner Mohammed Shami, calling him a “legend of the game.” Shami has been in outstanding form at the current ODI World Cup, taking 9 wickets in the last two matches.
Seven of the ten wickets that fell, including the first four, were taken by Bumrah and Shami, who upset England’s top order. Despite starting only four games, Shami created havoc in the final two, taking five and four wickets against New Zealand and England, respectively.
“He is exceptional. He’s, you know, one of the game’s legends. I believe he has always been peaceful. “He doesn’t come out to be flamboyant, but the way he was bowling as if he were playing a Test match was really, really wonderful to see,” Bumrah told Sky Sports.
It was Mohammed Shami’s third four-wicket haul in his last four ODIs, dating back to the pre-World Cup series against Australia. The 33-year-old has 180 wickets at an average of 24.65 in 96 One-Day Internationals. With a 14.07 average in 13 games, it makes a significant improvement in World Cups.
“We’ve usually had a lot of partnerships in Test cricket, and I really enjoy bowling with him.” So, yeah, I’m pretty pleased with how he’s progressing.”
Jasprit Bumrah acknowledged hearing rumours about his career being cut short due to injuries, but dismissed them as inconsequential. The 29-year-old missed a year of action due to a stress fracture in his back, including the T20 World Cup last year and the IPL this year. When he returned, however, the great bowler hit the ground running, winning Player of the Series in the Ireland T20I series in August.
“My wife [TV sports presenter Sanjana Ganesan] also works in sports media.” So, yeah, I’ve heard a lot of doubts about my career, that I’ll never return, and all of that, but it doesn’t really matter,” Bumrah remarked.
“I’m overjoyed. When I returned, I realised how much I like playing the game. I wasn’t looking for anything. When I returned from my injuries, I had a lot of energy. So, eventually, I’m looking at the positives and trying to enjoy as much as possible,” Bumrah added.
