“If Mohammed Shami Doesn’t Eat 1kg Mutton Daily…”: India Pacer’s Friend Opens Up On Star’s Diet

India pacer Mohammed Shami is aiming to make a comeback into the Indian team after being sidelined since November 2023 due to an ankle injury. Shami last represented India in the 2023 ODI World Cup final against Australia, which India, led by Rohit Sharma, lost. Despite carrying an injury during the tournament, Shami emerged as the leading wicket-taker with 24 scalps in seven matches. He has since missed major events like the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the T20 World Cup, which India won in his absence. Now, Shami has begun his preparations to return to full speed.

In a recent interview, Shami’s friend Umesh Kumar discussed the pacer’s diet, revealing his love for mutton. “Shami can bear everything, but he cannot survive without mutton. He can tolerate it for one day, but by the second day, he becomes agitated, and by the third day, he loses his mind. If Shami doesn’t eat 1kg of mutton daily, his bowling speed will reduce by up to 15 kmph,” Umesh shared on Shubhankar Mishra’s YouTube channel.

Meanwhile, Shami has been seen bowling at full throttle in the nets recently. India’s chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, expressed hope that Shami would recover in time for the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh, starting on September 19.

“We more or less know who the guys are. There are some injuries at the moment, and we hope they will be back. Shami has started to bowl, which is a good sign. September 19 is the first Test against Bangladesh, and that was always the goal. I don’t know if that is his timeline for recovery; we will have to ask the guys at the NCA about that,” Agarkar said during a press conference.

Agarkar also mentioned that the selection committee is monitoring first-class cricket to potentially add more players to the Test team. “There are so many Tests coming. We will need some depth. Bumrah, Shami, and Siraj have been around for a while; these are the obvious ones. But there will be some conversation around it. We’ve got a lot of first-class cricket coming up so we can build guys up like that,” Agarkar added.