Mohammed Shami: IPL helped get my rhythm back after injury layoff

Mohammed Shami. Picture/AFP

India pace bowler Mohammed Shami has said that the Indian Premier League (IPL) helped him get his "rhythm back" after a long injury layoff. Shami was hit on the elbow by a delivery from Australian fast bowler Pat Cummins while batting during the opening Test in Adelaide in December. He was ruled out of the rest of the series as well as the home England series that followed.

"The experience over the years has helped me learn to look after my body. I know how much training is needed, how to keep myself hydrated etc -- all these factors must have also helped," Shami told Gulf News. On his return to action after four months, Shami did well for Punjab Kings in IPL14, picking up eight wickets in as many matches.

Shami is looking forward to the World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand next month in England and the five-match Test series against host England in August-September. Asked what his strategy would be during the gruelling series in England, the 30-year-old said, "I do not believe in overthinking about what my approach will be. I found my rhthym back in the IPL and the rest, of course, depends on the conditions."

Shami, who is now 20 wickets shy of becoming the fifth India pacer to reach 200 wickets in Test matches, after Kapil Dev, Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma, said he is not setting any targets on the England tour. "No point in planning. Who would have thought the pandemic would virtually destroy two years of our lives? I prefer to take it by each series or tournament as the case may be."

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