"Even Shahid Afridi Had That Name": Mohammed Shami Reveals Story Behind Nickname 'Lala'

In the last few years, Mohammed Shami's impact in ICC events has been significant. At the 2023 ODI World Cup, Shami was the top wicket-taker among all teams with 24 scalps. He was instrumental in India reaching the final. Then, at the 2025 Champions Trophy win, Shami was India's joint-highest wicket-taker with nine scalps. Currently, Shami is out of the Indian cricket team as he is still undergoing rehabilitation to regain peak fitness. Shami last played an international match back in March. He also played in the IPL 2025.

In a recent interview, Shami was asked about his popular nickname in the Indian cricket dressing room – "Lala."

"I also do not know when it became permanent. Virat ke kaam hai, yahi karta hai aise kaam (It must be Virat's doing; he always does such things). I was just thinking once—what kind of a name is Lala? Even Shahid Afridi had that name. But I did not understand why I had this name. Am I fat? No. There are people (called Lala) who do jewelry work, but I don't do that either. But when you come to the team, you get some names. If you try to argue about it, they irritate you even more. So I let it be," Shami said on News24.

In the same interview, he was asked whether there was any batter who troubled him.

"There has been no batter so far who would come in my dreams, or who I had to think a lot about or feel pressure facing before a match. It depends on who is set. Both (Kohli and Rohit) are great players, and both are big individuals in Indian history. They have made a name for themselves," he said.

Shami has played down retirement talks, insisting he is ready to play domestic cricket to get back into the national side. Shami, who was ignored for the upcoming Asia Cup, last played international cricket during the Champions Trophy in March earlier this year. Responding to a query over his future, Shami counter-questioned if anyone had a problem with him. He confirmed that he has no intentions to retire just yet as he still has plenty of cricket left in him.

Shami suggested he is ready to do the hard yards by playing domestic cricket, and that he is focused on getting back to the Indian team and helping them win the 2027 ODI World Cup.

"If someone has a problem, tell me, if it is like their lives become better if I take retirement. Tell me whose life have I become a rock in that you want me to retire? The day I get bored, I will leave. You don't pick me, but I will keep working hard. You don't pick me in international, I will play domestic. I will keep playing somewhere or the other. You have to make these decisions when you start feeling bored. That is not the time for me now," Shami said.

Topics mentioned in this article

Mohammad Shami India Cricket Team Shahid Afridi Virat Kohli Cricket