Mohammed Shami, who missed India's first four ODI World Cup 2023 matches, got the chance after the injury to all-rounder Hardik Pandya. The pacer has since taken 23 wickets including three five-wicket hauls and the best-ever figures by an Indian bowler in ODIs
At times the leadership group has to take a few harsh calls in view of the team's needs, but Indian skipper Rohit Sharma on Saturday said such calls are easier to make if the player in question is a total team-man like Mohammed Shami. Shami was kept out of India's first four World Cup matches before getting him on board for the game against New Zealand at Dharamsala after the injury to all-rounder Hardik Pandya. (Streaming | Scorecard | Full Coverage)
But his performance -- 23 wickets that include three fifers and the best-ever figures by an Indian bowler in ODIs, Shami's performance has been India's biggest story in this showpiece. Of course Rohit has given starts and Virat Kohli has shown superb consistency but one can't take away anything from the 'Amroha Express' as he went on steamrolling one opposition after another. Rohit admitted that keeping the pacer wasn't easy.
"It was tough for him to not play in the initial part of the World Cup, looking at him being one of the senior bowlers for us. But he was there for the team. He was there to help (Mohammed) Siraj, he was there to help (Jasprit) Bumrah in whatever ways he could. "And that shows the quality of him, you know, being the team-man that he is," Rohit gushed about his lethal weapon.
Rohit said the team management communicated to Shami in clear terms as to why he had to sit out. "We had a chat with him about why he missed out and everything. And then, obviously, on the sidelines, he was working on his bowling. I mean, the results are there for everyone to see how he has come back from that." The skipper said Shami's performance showed what kind of mental space he has been in.
"That shows the kind of mental space that Shami was before the World Cup and even now. It's not easy not being part of the team and then come out and do the job that he has done for us, it says a lot about him." In a team sport, there is no space for personal likes and dislikes and no think-tank ever takes a decision without any proper logic, reckoned the Mumbaikar.
"When you're playing a team sport, people do understand why x, y, z have to miss out on certain occasions, because there's a lot that goes into getting your 11 right. That depends everything on your conditions, the opposition, and the balance that you want to create. "It was just that and then once the opportunity opened up for him, he was right there. We all can see that with his performance," he added.