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Discarded Team India pacer Mohammed Shami opened up on the 'Lazy' tag given to him by star batter Virat Kohli for falling asleep during massages. Shami and Kohli have played together for India across formats for over a decade.
The pair finished as the tournament's leading run-scorer and wicket-taker with 765 runs and 24 wickets, respectively, in India's final run in the 2023 ODI World Cup. While Kohli has retired from Tests and T20Is, Shami is out of favor despite being available for selection in all formats.
Talking about his 'Lazy' nickname, given to him by Virat Kohli, in an interview with Aap ki Adalat (via TOI), Shami said:
"Your body gets exhausted during a Test match. I might have taken a short nap, but if that earns me the ‘lazy’ tag, I don’t mind. Fast bowling is the toughest job in the team. We run the most, we respond whenever the situation demands, and off the field, if I relax for a bit, what’s the harm? Virat can call me ‘lazy’ or ‘lala’, but I am neither fat nor selling jewellery. In the Indian team, you are bound to pick up some nickname."Shami and Kohli last played together in India's 2025 Champions Trophy final win against New Zealand.
"Virat used to talk to my mom over the phone" - Mohammed Shami
Mohammed Shami revealed why Virat Kohli touched his mother's feet after India's 2025 Champions Trophy triumph. The veteran pacer said the former captain used to talk to his mother over the phone but had never met her.
"Virat used to talk to my mom over the phone. She had never met him in person, and when she came to watch the match after years, I told Virat she was there. That’s why he went to her," said Shami (via the aforementioned source).Shami also recalled Virat Kohli's chuckling while he was answering questions in English during a tour of New Zealand.
"I was trying my best to answer in English. I even joked that I had brought Virat with me during the New Zealand series because the Kiwis have such a different accent. After I finished, Virat asked why I had brought him along," he said.Shami is not part of the Indian squad currently playing the 2025 Asia Cup in the UAE.
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Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran
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