It's very important to be in rhythm in white-ball cricket – Mohammed Shami

Mohammed Shami was once again the highlight of the Indian bowling lot with another impressive display that saw him bagging his second fifer in three matches in the ongoing World Cup. Not only did he claim the highest number of wickets to dismantle Sri Lanka but he also leapfrogged Zaheer Khan and Javagal Srinath to make it to the top of the highest wickets claimed in a World Cup by an Indian as he bagged his 45th wicket.

In the imperious showdown knitted together by Mohammed Shami, the victims included the likes of Charith Asalanka, Angelo Mathews, Dushan Hemantha, Dushmantha Chameera and Kasun Rajitha. Not only did he claim the five wickets, but in his spell of five overs, he also registered a maiden which came like an icing on the cake.

Awarded the Player of the Match for his sensational display, Mohammed Shami opened up at length at the post-match presentation. Talking about the team’s collective display with the ball, Shami said, “Our bowling is in good shape and with the kind of rhythm (talking about the form of the pacers) that we are in, everyone is enjoying and everyone is happy for each other's success and more importantly, we are bowling as a unit and that's the result you are getting to see.”

Shedding some light on his ace weapons, Shami added, “I always try to bowl in good areas and be in good rhythm. In big tournaments, once the rhythm goes away, it's very tough to get it back. I always focus on hitting the good areas and length.”

Highlighting his elation at becoming India’s leading wicket-taker, Shami said, “Very happy (on becoming India's leading wicket-taker in World Cups) It's very important to be in rhythm in white ball cricket and hit the good areas. If you hit the good areas with the new ball you will get assistance off the pitch and for me length matters a lot.”

Shami concluded by talking about the Indian dressing room, stating, “The kind of support we get from the crowd, I want to thank each and every one of them. We also get a lot of support whenever we travel outside India as well. The dressing room is in a very good space.”