Aakash Chopra believes Lucknow Super Giants fast bowler Mohammed Shami deserves far more public recognition for what he has delivered so far in the current Indian Premier League. Chopra pointed out that Shami, who has often been overlooked at the national level, has already taken three wickets across his first two outings in the tournament. In his view, Shami’s match-turning spell of 2/9 against Sunrisers Hyderabad stands out as one of the standout bowling performances of the season so far, and he feels the broader conversation hasn’t matched the impact.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra questioned why Shami’s work has not been celebrated more loudly. “Are we giving Mohammad Shami enough credit, and when will we actually give him credit? It’s a big question. Why are we not celebrating him? I am the same person who was saying that the selectors have to choose, and if they are not selecting, they might have seen him, his fitness, and whatever,” Chopra said.
When assessing Shami’s effort versus SRH, Chopra praised the discipline and economy shown during an afternoon match. He argued that performances in the IPL cannot be dismissed as coming against weaker opposition, given how competitive the league is. “I had also said that everyone has to stand up and take notice if he does it in the IPL. Then you cannot say that the opposing team’s standard wasn’t that good. This is the most competitive league in the world. In such a scenario, he bowled four overs for just nine runs and two wickets, including 18 dot balls, in an afternoon game against the SunRisers Hyderabad,” Chopra added.
Chopra further underlined that the spell was not only economical but also strategically damaging, featuring 18 dot balls and key breakthroughs of SRH’s dangerous opening pair, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma. He also stressed that afternoon conditions offer little assistance to fast bowlers, which makes Shami’s figures of 2/9 even more impressive. “He dismissed Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma. You have got to celebrate because these are once-in-an-IPL analysis. Where will you get such analysis again? I know Jacob Duffy bowled very well in the first match, but this was an afternoon game. There is no help at all for fast bowlers in an afternoon game, and there was no help for him as well,” noted Chopra.
