"Mohammad Shami's stature has grown a lot with this team" - Aakash Chopra lauds Gujarat Titans seamer's performances in IPL 2023
Aakash Chopra has picked Mohammad Shami's penetrative spells with the new ball as one of the reasons behind the Gujarat Titans' (GT) run to the final in IPL 2023.
Shami, with 28 scalps, was the highest wicket-taker in the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League. He registered two four-wicket hauls in the tournament and gave the Titans early breakthroughs more often than not.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra reflected on some of the principal contributors to the Titans' excellent run. Regarding Shami, he said:
"Shami's ability. How good a player he is. Mohammad Shami's stature has grown a lot with this team. When he was selected, there was a question for sure, that Shami does well in all formats but T20s is 50-50."
The former Indian opener was particularly in awe of the Gujarat Titans pacer's ability to exploit the seamer-friendly conditions under lights at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, stating:
"He did well last year and took home the Purple Cap this year. The way he bowled to get the Purple Cap, the ball moves a lot under lights in Ahmedabad and he is an exponent of that."
Shami scalped 17 of his 28 wickets in the powerplay overs. Apart from bagging the Purple Cap, the experienced seamer also bowled the most dot balls (193) in the tournament.
"He was absolutely incredible" - Aakash Chopra on Mohammad Shami's spell against the Delhi Capitals
![Mohammad Shami rocked the Delhi Capitals' top order. [P/C: iplt20.com]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/06/786d6-16855996140929-1920.jpg?w=500)
Aakash Chopra believes Shami's 4/11 against the Delhi Capitals was one of the best spells of IPL 2023, elaborating:
"If you have to see the best bowling spell of this year, two spells will come to your mind. One was the five-wicket haul that Akash Madhwal picked up against the Lucknow Super Giants and the other was the four wickets Mohammad Shami took right at the start against the Delhi Capitals, he was absolutely incredible."
The renowned commentator concluded by pointing out that the Bengal seamer gave a decent account of himself as a death bowler too, observing:
"That was the highest level of Test bowling and Mohammad Shami did that job not once or twice but repeatedly. He came and bowled at the death as well. Even in the final, the penultimate over was not too bad. He has been very, very good."
Shami bowled an impressive penultimate over in the final against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He conceded only eight runs when CSK required 21 runs off the final two overs. However, his efforts went in vain as Ravindra Jadeja scored 10 runs off the last two deliveries of the final over to take his team across the line.