"Why Are We Not Celebrating Mohammed Shami?" BCCI Selectors Sent Strong Message By Ex-India Star After IPL Heroics
The former India batter said that Mohammed Shami's match-winning spell of 2/9 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad is already one of the best spells of the ongoing season.
- Aakash Chopra feels LSG pacer Mohammed Shami should be given due credit for his performance so far in IPL 2026
- Chopra said that Shami's match-winning spell of 2/9 vs SRH is already one of the best spells of the season
- "It's a big question. Why are we not celebrating him?" said the cricketer-turned-commentator
Former India batter Aakash Chopra feels Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) pacer Mohammed Shami should be given due credit for his performance so far in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). While the ignored India pacer has picked three wickets in two matches, Chopra said that Shami's match-winning spell of 2/9 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad is already one of the best spells of the ongoing season. The cricketer-turned-commentator feels Shami hasn't yet got the credit that he deserves for his performance in IPL 2026.
"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 on his YouTube channel.
Reviewing the performance against SRH, Chopra praised Shami for delivering such an economical spell during an afternoon fixture.Â
"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," he added.
Shami's masterclass included a remarkable 18 dot balls and the crucial wickets of Hyderabad's explosive opening duo, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma. Chopra highlighted the lack of assistance for seamers in the afternoon heat, making Shami's figures of 2/9 even more commendable.
"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.
Lucknow Super Giants
Mohammad Shami