Mohammed Shami said it was a dream-come-true after receiving the Arjuna Award in New Delhi on Tuesday. 26 sports persons were honoured with the prestigious Arjuna Award on January 9.
Mohammed Shami was in sensational form during the 2023 ODI World Cup. He was the leading wicket-taker in the tournament and finishing with 24 wickets from just 7 matches.
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On Tuesday, Shami said it was difficult to express his emotions: “Cannot express this feeling. This is a dream. I keep trying because I love my job and I want to play my role as well as I can,” he told India Today.
Mohammed Shami was named in the playing XI after Hardik Pandya sustained an injury during India’s match against Bangladesh and he made an immediate impact with a 5-wicket haul against New Zealand.
In his next match at the World Cup, Shami destroyed England with a four-wicket haul and he followed that up with another five-wicket haul against Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium.
Shami then picked 2 wickets in an emphatic victory over South Africa and while he was wicketless in the game against Netherlands on a flat Bengaluru pitch, Shami starred with a 7-wicket haul against New Zealand in the semi-final at the Wankede Stadidum.
Shami managed to pick only 1 wicket in the final which India lost to Australia.
Thanks to his heroics in the 2023 edition, Shami became 1 of only 7 bowlers to have taken over 50 wickets in the history of World Cups.
The post This is a dream: Mohammed Shami on receving Arjuna Award appeared first on Inside Sport India.