Why Mohammed Shami sometimes asks Virat Kohli "was it my wicket or yours?"
Fast bowlers are known for wildly celebrating their wickets, and Mohammed Shami is no different. But the Indian pace gun admits skipper Virat Kohli’s intense celebrations are a proper match for a fast bowler’s emotions.
The duo has played a considerable amount of cricket over the years, with Virat Kohli trusting Mohammed Shami across all three formats of the game.
In an exclusive interview with India TV, Mohammed Shami disclosed the cheeky banter he shares with the Indian skipper whenever a picture of him celebrating goes viral online.
"Fast bowlers are very aggressive, both old and new. But the one player who could probably emulate their aggression is our own captain! Sometimes, when a picture of Virat's celebration of a wicket goes viral on social media, I funnily ask him, ‘Was it my wicket or yours?’ He celebrates more than the bowlers! Sometimes he points out that you don't look too happy with the wicket, so I simply tell him, ‘You did all the celebration for me!’” Shame mentioned.
Widely regarded as a fast bowler’s captain, Virat Kohli never shies away from showing his emotions on the field. The Indian skipper is an animated character on the field and is regularly seen celebrating in full flow with his bowlers.
Although Mohammed Shami hilariously admitted that Virat Kohli sometimes steals his thunder, the Indian speed gun applauded the Indian skipper’s temperament.
“But it is important to have fun on the field. Virat shows aggression, obviously, but as a unit, he has led the team brilliantly so far. In addition, he is a very aggressive batsman too,” Shami said.
Rohit Sharma very different to Virat Kohli, shares Mohammed Shami
The fast bowler also gave his opinion on the comparisons between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. India’s two premier batsmen are often pitted against each other, with the duo’s contrasting captaincy styles a hot topic of debate.
Mohammed Shami discussed how Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are different from each other, praising the latter’s positive approach towards the game.
“Rohit is a different character. He is a cool person, except when he comes to bat! But he is a very positive person. Even as a bowler, when I go to him for advice, he always gives positive answers. Rohit always pushes the bowlers to do what their mind tells them to, irrespective of how the batsman is playing or his strong points. I think that is very important for the confidence of a fast bowler,” Shami concluded.
Mohammed Shami will soon travel to the UK with India’s red-ball team. The fast bowler has not played a Test since getting injured in Australia last year but is likely to be part of the team that plays the World Test Championship Final against New Zealand on June 18.