IND vs ENG: On India return, Mohammed Shami eyes Kapil Dev's record

IND vs ENG: Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami is on the cusp of a major landmark in international as he makes his return in the upcoming T20I series against England, starting January 22 in Kolkata.

In Short

• Mohammed Shami is on the verge of 450 international wickets
• Shami will play in the T20I series against England
• Shami hasn’t played for India since November 2023

Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami is on the cusp of a massive record. The speedster is set to make his comeback in the upcoming T20I series against Jos Buttler’s England, which is scheduled to get underway on January 22 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Shami has a chance to become the fourth Indian pacer to take 450 or more wickets in international cricket.

The ones to already have achieved the milestone are Kapil Dev (687), Zaheer Khan (597) and Javagal Srinath (551). Anil Kumble (953), Ravi Ashwin (765), Harbhajan Singh (707) and Ravindra Jadeja (597) are among the Indian spinners to have reached the landmark. In 188 international matches since his debut in 2013, Shami has taken 448 wickets at an economy rate of 4.12.

Most wickets for India in international cricket

Anil Kumble – 953 wickets from 401 matches

Ravi Ashwin – 765 wickets from 287 matches

Harbhajan Singh – 707 wickets from 365 matches

Kapil Dev – 687 wickets from 356 matches

Ravindra Jadeja – 597 wickets from 351 matches

Zaheer Khan – 597 wickets from 351 matches

Javagal Srinath – 551 wickets from 296 matches

Mohammed Shami – 448 wickets from 188 matches

Shami recalls tough times

In a video uploaded on BCCI’s social media, Shami talked about the troubled times he had to go through while being out of the Indian team. The speedster said that the tough phase has made him mentally tougher and stronger.

“It is difficult for any player to get injured after being in full flow, go to the NCA for rehabilitation and then make a comeback. When you go through injuries, I feel you grow stronger as an athlete because you have to repeat a lot of things while being mentally strong. Whatever is done, it is done. I have crossed that phase. If you work hard, you will get the result. That’s what I believe,” Shami said.

Shami hasn’t donned the Indian colours since the ODI World Cup final against Australia back in November 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.