Pace spearhead Mohammed Shami said his performances can fluctuate as he is not a machine, but credited domestic cricket and peak fitness for keeping him match-ready as his decisive showing sealed Lucknow Super Giants’ crucial win in the IPL on Sunday.
Shami returned excellent figures of 2 for 9, including bowling as many as 18 dot balls as LSG beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by five wickets.
“If you want to play, it’s important to be in touch with the game. If you’re fit only then can you work on your skills. That’s why I kept in touch with the game and played all the domestic games,” he said.
Shami, 35, endured a challenging IPL 2025 season with Sunrisers Hyderabad following a return from injury. He took only 6 wickets in 9 matches with a high economy rate of 11.23.
“I am not a machine. My season can go up and down. I have performed well in the last few years. People have not noticed, thats different. But I always try to do well,” he told reporters when asked about his last season..
“And as far as Bharat bhai is concerned, we have worked together in the Indian team for a long time. We have a good bounding. We have a good understanding with each other. So it is very important that the players and staff match well.
“And as far as Lucknow is concerned, it is my second home. So it doesn’t take much time to match up.
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Shami, who dismissed the dangerous duo of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma cheaply, said taking pace off was the key.
“The pitch was the same as it has always been here. Slow type, a little bit sticky type. But with the new ball, your line length is very important,” he said.
“Because we clearly knew that if we give them width or if we give them in the zone, then they will hit both the batsmen hard.
“So it was very important to turn off the pace. And it was very important that they get as little elevation as possible.
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Shami said the team needed to bounce back strongly after a setback in the previous game.
“I’m happy. We lost our last game, winning this game was key to build momentum,” he said.
He explained that being physically fit allows a player to work on their craft, which is why he made it a point to feature in domestic matches to stay in rhythm.
The seasoned pacer also stressed that both skill and experience are indispensable at the highest level.
“Without skill or experience, nothing happens,” he remarked.
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Shami further highlighted the importance of adapting to conditions, revealing that he consciously incorporated slower deliveries into his game after observing their effectiveness.
Drawing from past experience at the venue having been at SRH, he said he decided to rely more on variations, especially slower balls, having seen their success previously and among opposition bowlers..
“But you have to adapt. I was here last year and used a lot of slower ones. Opponents use it a lot, I thought why not us too,” he said.
Talking about his process, Shami said: “I do my work and try and leave the rest to Allah. See, whether it is IPL or any good platform, you definitely need to work on skill. So now it depends on how hard you are working on the new ball and on the old ball.
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“I have always had the strength of the new ball. So I always think that how much benefit I can bring to my team with the new ball. Or how much good I can put for the team.
“It depends on the day that if your day is good, your bowling is going well, then you have put three balls over. Or if three went well, then put a fourth quickly if your wicket is coming. So that is on planning. But it takes a lot of hard work.”
