You need freedom from the captain, which Rohit Sharma gives: Mohammed Shami

Ace pacer Mohammed Shami has done remarkably well under the leadership of Rohit Sharma. He wasn’t a first-choice pacer for India in the ODI World Cup 2023 but after Hardik Pandya got ruled out, Rohit showed his trust in Shami, who in return picked up 24 wickets and finished as the leading wicket-taker of the tournament. However, since then, the Bengal pacer hasn’t featured in any professional game due to an ankle injury.

He is currently in much better shape and training at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. The 34-year-old is aiming to make his return in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy but things aren’t quite simple. Captain Rohit recently stated that he doesn’t want to take an undercooked Shami to Australia but the pacer is leaving no stone unturned to prove his fitness and for the same reason, he also expressed the desire to feature in a couple of Ranji games.

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In the meantime, Shami opened up on his experience of playing under Rohit. He explained that the 37-year-old gives freedom to the bowlers, which is very important. The Amroha-born cricketer added that the current India captain knows how to extract the best out of a cricketer and knows the ability of each player.

“I hadn't played much under Rohit earlier. I was seen playing under him in the World Cup and got to play a few other matches. You need freedom from the captain, which he gives. "As a captain, you should know which player can give his best in a particular situation. He knows that very well. Since we have been playing together for such a long time, everyone's ability is known. He knows very well when to extract the best from a player,” Shami observed.

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Notably, Shami has played 32 games under Rohit Sharma in international cricket, picking up 64 wickets at an average of 22.34.