At the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Tuesday, January 9, the esteemed President of India, Droupadi Murmu, bestowed upon fast bowler Mohammed Shami the renowned Arjuna award in recognition of his outstanding achievements in cricket. The pacer had an incredible year with the ball, finishing as the top wicket-taker in the 2023 ODI World Cup with 24 wickets from seven innings at an economy rate of 5.26 and an average of 10.70.
But an ankle issue that plagued him during the World Cup prevented him from playing in the most recent Test series against South Africa. Interestingly, Mohammed Shami has consistently featured for India in ODIs and Test matches, but it has been a while since he participated in T20Is. The seamer, who is from Uttar Pradesh, last played in the shortest format of international cricket in the T20 World Cup 2022 semi-final, which India lost by 10 wickets to England.
Recently, Shami expressed his desire to return to Twenty20 Internationals, but he also disclosed that he is unsure if he will be considered for the next T20 World Cup in 2024 due to unclear communication from the board.
“When it comes to T20s, I frequently don’t know if I’m in the scenario or not. However, I believe that the IPL comes before the T20 World Cup, which is the ideal chance to gain momentum. If management requests that I play, I would be available, Mohammed Shami told India Today.
The IPL 2023 Purple Cap went to Mohammed Shami.
Notably, at the T20 World Cup 2022, Shami claimed six wickets at an economy of 7.15 and an average of 23.83 from six matches. From 23 games, he has claimed 24 wickets at an average of 29.62 and an economy of 8.94. With 28 wickets from 17 innings at an average of 18.64 and an economy of 8.03, he finished as the IPL 2023’s top wicket-taker and was awarded the coveted Purple Cap.
Shami may be selected for the forthcoming T20 World Cup 2024, which begins on June 1, given his recent form and the possibility of another outstanding IPL season.
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