Mohammed Shami ranks amongst the top three bowlers in the world, opines Kohli

Mohammed Shami was out for almost two years with injuries but he made a stellar comeback and helped India rattle the Lankan side with sheer tenacity. The fast bowler from Kolkata clocks the 140 kph mark regularly and is incredibly consistent with his lengths. These facets reflect on the results he’s been achieving and skipper Virat Kohli is full of praises for the 27-year-old.

He lauded the work rate of Shami and also rated his as one of the top three fast bowlers in the world currently. Kohli added that his wicket taking ability and the impact he can create on a game throws light on his ingenuity in pressure situations.

“I certainly rate Shami among the world’s top three fast bowlers for sure. Because of his wicket-taking ability and the kind of impact he has on games. When he makes up his mind to come out and give it his 120 percent, then he can bowl like this – 145, 140 clicks on a regular basis and troubling the batsmen,” Kohli said.

“Watching him bowl that way is a delight to the eye”

Speaking to the press after annihilating Sri Lanka in the third Test, Kohli reckoned Mohammed Shami has all the ingredients to become a top class bowler. He also has hoped that injuries won’t hamper his rhythm and he keeps contributing extensively for Indian cricket.

“It is not just reckless bowling. So he is a quality bowler. He has all the ingredients of becoming a consistent world-class bowler, provided the fitness factor can be maintained and hopefully he is not hampered with any more injuries,” said Kohli.

The 28-year-old also added that watching Shami rip the batting line up apart was an absolute delight to the eye. He opined he enjoys being on the field when Shami is bowling that way. “He is a very valuable bowler for us and when he is on song, it’s delightful to watch. We all really enjoy standing on the field and watching him bowl like that. He is very special,” Kohli added.