04 May,2017 02:35 PM IST | New Delhi | Santosh Suri
Delhi Daredevils' India seamer determined to duplicate encouraging show against Sunrisers Hyderabad when he squares up to Gujarat Lions in the Capital today
Mohammed Shami
When Delhi Daredevils take on Gujarat Lions in an IPL-10 league match at the Kotla today, the focus will be on comeback man Mohammed Shami. In the previous game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Shami had produced a lethal yorker to castle in-form David Warner and then sent Kane Williamson packing with a well-directed bouncer. His fiery spell won him the man-of-the-match award as the home team surprised the defending champions.
No knee worry
Shami seemed to have recovered from a knee injury well before the IPL began, as he appeared for Bengal in the domestic Vijay Hazare Trophy championship. However, the Delhi Daredevils management was reluctant to include him in the XI and in the initial matches, Shami was kept on the bench though he was seen bowling in the nets off his full run-up.
When Shami was finally included for a home match against Kolkata Knight Riders, he went wicketless. Again, he was ignored for the next couple of games, till skipper Zaheer Khan got injured. In his next game at Mohali there was not much scope for Shami to perform as Daredevils were bundled out for just 67 and Kings XI Punjab got to the target in mere eight overs.
Big scalps
Finally against Sunrisers here on Tuesday, Shami came into his own and accounted for Warner and Williamson to herald his return to form. Getting back into his rhythm and full fitness augurs well not only for Daredevils as they make a last-ditch effort to finish in top-four, but also for Team India if at all they opt to play in the Champions Trophy.
"I'm playing after a long time, and this performance will lift my confidence level. It's good to contribute to the team's cause and as of now I am feeling as fit as I ever was, though it has taken me a couple of games to get into rhythm," Shami said after the match against Sunrisers.
It's been two years since Shami was plagued by a knee injury which kept him away from the field more often than on it. It all began during the 2014-15 tour of Australia when on the hard grounds Down Under, Shami developed a serious knee injury as he chose to play through it right up to the World Cup.
Since then, he has undergone a knee surgery and has had a recurrence of the injury during the Third Test at Mohali against England last November.
The recovery has been slow, but it seems that Shami has finally recovered and in due course should be at his sharpest if and when India travel to the UK to defend their Champions Trophy crown.
Delhi is priority
That assignment is a month away. Right now, his focus is on seeing Daredevils keep on rising on the points table and make it to the play offs.
"My immediate focus is to see that we are able to finish among the top four and go into the play offs. For that we will have to win all our matches. Right now, I am not even thinking of the Champions Trophy as the focus is on ding well for Daredevils," Shami concluded.
