Mohammed Shami bowled a dream spell of 5/18 against Sri Lanka in the ODI World Cup 2023 match on November 2 as India raced to a 302-run win. During the course of his third five-wicket haul in ODI World Cups, Shami also became India’s leading wicket-taker in the quadrennial tournament with 45 scalps in just 13 games.

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

Speaking at the post-match presentation, Shami let in on the secret of his magnificent bowling and said that it is just about rhythm they have found after putting in a lot of hard work.

“All the hard work we are putting in, the rhythm we have found, it’s because of that that you are getting to see this storm (on the cricket field), the incredible things our bowling unit is doing,” Shami said. “The rhythm we are bowling with, I can’t believe anyone will not enjoy it. So, yes, we are enjoying ourselves a lot and working together as a unit, and you are able to see the results of that.”

The five-for against Sri Lanka was Shami’s second in three ODI World Cup 2023 matches he has played so far and said that his focus from the start has been on pitching the ball in the right areas.

“Yeah, I am trying (to do my best), as always, trying to pitch the ball in the right areas and trying to find the right rhythm, because in big tournaments, if you lose rhythm it’s very difficult to get it back,” the bowler said. “So right from the start, the attempt has been to focus on the right areas and right lengths, and it’s working, so why not try to repeat it?”

Interestingly, none of Shami’s 45 World Cup wickets have been LBW and the pacer had no explanation for this remarkable feat. Even on Thursday, out of his five wickets, four were catches and one was bowled.

“No rocket science. Just a matter of rhythm, good food, keep your mind uncluttered, and, most importantly, the love of the people. The support we get in India has a huge role. When you go out of India, you get so much support from Indians. So I will keep trying to make everyone happy,” he said.

The win against Sri Lanka was India’s seventh in seven games and with that they became the first team in the ODI World Cup 2023 to qualify for the semi-finals.

You can now write for Baazigarnews.com and be a part of the Baazigar family. Share your stories and opinions with us here.