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‘Sometimes he points out that you don't look too happy’: Shami on why Virat Kohli celebrates wickets more than bowlers
Mohammed Shami gives an insight into some of the funny banter he has with skipper Virat Kohli.
Fast bowlers, apart from their remarkable skillset, are also well-known for their elaborate and expressive celebrations. If you are charging in at more than 130 kph ball after ball for a long duration of time and you pick up a wicket, there is no reason for you to not celebrate.
Team India speedster Mohammed Shami is no different. Even though he is mostly seen celebrating his scalps with a bright smile and the right index finger pointing upwards, there have been occasions where he has been more expressive.
He may do it from time to time but there is another member of the team who, you can say, celebrates the wicket more than bowlers. It's none other than India skipper Virat Kohli.
The duo has played international cricket together for a long time now and Shami has grown to become an all-format bowler under the leadership of Kohli. Shami, in the recent past, has revealed that he is one of the funny bones of the team and that Kohli and he share a good relationship off the field.
In an exclusive interview with India TV, Mohammed Shami disclosed the cheeky banter he shares with the Indian skipper whenever a picture of him celebrating goes viral online.
"Fast bowlers are very aggressive, both old and new. But the one player who could probably emulate their aggression is our own captain! Sometimes, when a picture of Virat's celebration of a wicket goes viral on social media, I funnily ask him, ‘Was it my wicket or yours?’ He celebrates more than the bowlers! Sometimes he points out that you don't look too happy with the wicket, so I simply tell him, ‘You did all the celebration for me!’” Shame mentioned.
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Kohli is known for his animated celebrations on the field. While Shami, on a lighter note, said Kohli hogs all the attention, he also commended his skipper's attitude and temperament.
“But it is important to have fun on the field. Virat shows aggression, obviously, but as a unit, he has led the team brilliantly so far. In addition, he is a very aggressive batsman too,” Shami said.
Both Shami and Kohli will travel to England, along with the Indian team, for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand and the subsequent five-match series against the host country.
