The current Indian cricket team has outstanding pacers, including senior players Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, as well as rapidly rising stars Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, and Umran Malik. Dinesh Karthik identified Shami as the toughest player he has faced in the nets and described the experience as torture.
On the ‘Rise of New India’ program on Cricbuzz, Karthik disclosed that not only he but also Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma avoided facing Shami in the nets.
Describing Mohammed Shami, the cricketer said, “If I had to use one word, it would be ‘Torture.’ He is the most challenging bowler I’ve faced in the nets throughout my career. He has even dismissed me a few times in matches. Playing against him in the nets has been unpleasant. I initially assumed I was the only one, so I asked Kohli and Rohit, both legends of the game, and they shared the same sentiment, they hate facing Shami.”
Exploring Shami’s “strengths,” Karthik unveiled that the experienced fast bowler always puts in his maximum effort in the nets, utilizing all his power.
The wicket-keeper batter explained that what sets Shami apart is that he employs all his strength in net sessions, along with his upright seam position and natural length, which is challenging at the 6-8 meter mark, often resulting in dismissals caught behind or caught at slip. Despite getting the batsman beaten numerous times, he is unlucky not to get more wickets, particularly on overseas tours where he is often seen as the underperforming bowler, possibly due to the same length that troubles the batsmen but does not produce wickets.
The cricketer highlighted what distinguishes Shami from others, stating, “Typically, fast bowlers have around 1000 rpm of revs when releasing the ball, but Shami’s are closer to 1500-1600. This factor makes him exceptional. When combined with some unevenness on the pitch, this amount of backspin renders him nearly unplayable,” he added in the video.