Indian pacer, Mohammad Shami has recently been nominated for this year’s Arjuna Award, thanks to his outstanding performance with the ball in the World Cup 2023
Shami warmed the bench in the first few games in the tournament, however, once he got the chance to be part of the playing XI, he showed what he was capable of. In his very first game in the tournament, he returned with the five wicket-haul, followed by a four-for and another five-for in his second and third matches, respectively.
He continued to impress with the ball and turned up with a sensational spell of 7 for 75 in the semi-final match against New Zealand. That very spell would go down as one of the best in the history of the 50-over World Cup.
Mohammad Shami Finished as Leading Wicket Taker in World Cup 2023
The Indian pacer ended up picking the most wickets in the tournament with 24 scalps to his name in just 7 matches at an astounding average of 10.71. Shami’s heroics helped India put in a dominant performance throughout the tournament.
However, the Men in Blue, unfortunately, went down to Australia in the final at Narendra Modi Stadium. In an interview with Sports Tak, Shami, recently, opened up on that heart-breaking loss.
Shami said that the players were heartbroken after the final loss but the arrival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the dressing room gave them a lot of boost and changed the atmosphere, completely.
“We were heartbroken after the loss and were sitting dejectedly. It was like our hard work of two months got negated due to just one match. It was our bad day and we were dejected but when the PM enters, you have to keep your head high. We were not even told that Modiji was coming there and suddenly he entered. Earlier, we were not even in the mood to eat and talk to each other but when he came, it was such a big surprise for us,” said Shami.
“We got shocked when he entered the room. He then came and spoke to all of us. And it was actually after that moment that we started talking to each other. We talked and said that we need to move on from this loss. So, PM Modi’s visit helped us a lot,” he added.
Following the 2023 World Cup final defeat, PM Modi also took to his Twitter handle and posted a special message for the Indian team. Here’s what he wrote:
“Dear Team India, Your talent and determination through the World Cup was noteworthy. You’ve played with great spirit and brought immense pride to the nation. We stand with you today and always,” he posted on X.
Team India led by Suryakumar Yadav is, currently, playing a T20I series against South Africa. This will be followed by as many ODIs and two Tests.
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