Cricket News: Ishant Sharma recalls MS Dhoni’s first impression of Mohammed Shami

Mohammed Shami, an Indian speedster who made his international debut in 2013, has made a name for himself as one of cricket's best bowlers.

Prior to Shami's debut, veteran pacer Ishant Sharma recalled the previous captain MS Dhoni's first impression of the pacer.

With the new ball, Shami has proven to be a deadly pacer, and his success can be credited to his ferocious pace, accuracy, and ball-moving skills. Ishant remembered the comments made by an impressed Dhoni who overlooked Shami during one of the 2013 net sessions.

"I had heard of a bowler from West Indies who had a lot of pace, meaning he was very skiddy. His run-up looks normal but he bowled with a lot of pace. So, when we saw him at the net, then Mahi Bhai said, 'Wow, he is good',"

told Ishant while speaking to Cricbuzz, on their 'Rise of New India' show.

Later that year, in a Test match at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata against the West Indies, Shami made his debut for the national team. Notably, the bowler had an immediate impact by taking nine wickets, including two hauls of four and five wickets. Ishant went on to describe the pacer's development as a player despite experiencing hardship in his personal life.

Ishant further added saying:

"He made his debut in Kolkata. As far as I remember, he picked nine wickets and helped India win. So, after that, we also became very good friends. When he was going through some personal turmoil, whatever had happened to him, I felt he needed a support from someone outside and say to him, 'What happened, happened. If you focus on cricket, may be things will become okay'. May be that is why Shami is a totally different bowler now,"

For the Indian team, Shami has taken 159 and 24 wickets in ODI and T20I matches, respectively, and 219 wickets in 166 innings of Test cricket.

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