No Indian bowler has picked more wickets in ODI World Cups than Mohammed Shami. His tally of 55 wickets is the third-best by an Asian bowler and fifth in history. Not to forget, he is the only bowler ever to have four five-wicket hauls in World Cups. Yet, he never was a consistent name in the playing XI for India across the last three editions of the ICC tournament. India played 28 matches in the last three World Cups and Shami featured in just 18 of them, with India winning 15 of those ties.

Like in 2023, Shami was benched for the first four group games in the 2019 World Cup, where India were led by Virat Kohli and coached by Ravi Shastri. Shami only made his appearance in the fifth match against Afghanistan, where he picked up a hat-trick, before picking up a fifer against England in his third appearances.

However, after four appearances, where he snared 14 wickets, Shami was rested for the final group game against Sri Lanka, before being ignored for the semifinal against New Zealand. India later suffered an 18-run loss against the Kiwis.

Speaking to Shubhankar Mishra on his YouTube show ‘Unplugged,’ Shami admitted that the team management's stance in 2019 did leave him puzzled. He questioned that while every team requires good performers, why was his performance overlooked despite putting on a best show.

“In 2019 I did not play the first 4-5 games. In the next game, I took a hat-trick, then picked up a five-wicket haul and then four wickets in the next game. A similar happened in 2023. I did not play in the first few games and then picked a fifer, then four wickets and then a five-wicket haul again,” he said.

“The one thing I keep wondering is every team needs players who can perform well. I took 13 wickets in three matches. What more do you expect from me? I neither have questions nor do I have answers. I can only prove myself when I get the opportunity. You gave me a chance, and I took 13 wickets in three matches. Then we lost to New Zealand. played four matches overall and picked 14 wickets. In 2023, I picked 24 wickets in seven matches,” he added.

In 2023, Shami was rested yet again for the first few games and only made the playing XI after Hardik Pandya was injured and later ruled out. He picked 24 wickets in seven matches, which included two fifers, he played to emerge as the leading wicket-taker in the tournament.

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