India’s star pacer, Mohammed Shami, made history with a remarkable performance in the World Cup 2023 semi-final against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday. Shami achieved the best-ever bowling figures by an Indian bowler in the tournament, taking seven wickets for 57 runs in 9.5 overs. His outstanding performance earned him the ‘Player of the Match’ award.
However, the 33-year-old expressed a slight regret in the post-match presentation, admitting that he deeply regretted not catching Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson during the game.
“It feels amazing when you are playing for your country on a platform like the World Cup. In the last two World Cups, we lost mid-way and that was very disappointing. So this time, we saw it as our chance to redeem our dream of a World Cup win. You never know if you will ever get an opportunity like this in your career again, so best to make use of the opportunity in hand,” Mohammed Shami said during the post-match presentation on being awarded the ‘Player of the match’ award.
“I feel bad for missing that catch because, ideally I should not have missed it,” he further said.
Nevertheless, Mohammed Shami managed to compensate for the missed opportunity. Upon his return to the attack, he swiftly claimed the crucial wickets of Williamson and Tom Latham. In just three deliveries, he reignited the spirits of the Wankhede crowd.
IND vs NZ: Mohammed Shami record-breaking performance
The seasoned pacer reached the milestone of 50 World Cup wickets, joining the ranks of the seven bowlers who have achieved this feat. Impressively, he became the fastest to reach this milestone in just 17 innings, surpassing Mitchell Starc’s previous record of 19 innings.
Over the course of 17 matches, Mohammed Shami has scalped an impressive 54 wickets with an astonishing average of 12.90. His economy rate stands slightly above 5, with a remarkable strike rate of 15.33. This outstanding performance positions him as the sixth-highest wicket-taker in World Cup history, with Australia’s Glenn McGrath holding the record with 71 wickets in 39 matches.
In a match where Mohammed Shami delivered a game-changing spell and Virat Kohli achieved his record-breaking 50th ODI century, complemented by Shreyas Iyer’s quick-fire century earlier in the Indian innings, India convincingly defeated New Zealand by 70 runs, securing their spot as the first finalists of the World Cup 2023.
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