Indian pacer Mohammed Shami is back in the international fold as he is raring to go all guns blazing in the Champions Trophy. After a year-long hiatus from competitive cricket, Shami has now played all three formats of domestic cricket and T20Is for India since his ankle surgery in early 2024.
Now when he steps onto the field for an ODI game, Shami will have a world record in his sights. The Indian speedster currently has 195 wickets to his name in the 50-over format and needs five more to hit the 200-wicket mark.
If he does so in his first match in the format from now, he will equal the world record of fastest to 200 scalps in the format. The record is currently owned by Australian tearaway quick Mitchell Starc, who has taken 102 ODI matches to reach the mark.
Shami has played 101 games and taken 195 wickets, and if he takes five wickets in his first ODI outing, he will equal the massive record.
Fastest to 200 wickets in ODIs:
1 - Mitchell Starc: 102 matches to reach 200 wickets
2 - Saqlain Mushtaq: 104 matches to reach 200 wickets
3 - Trent Boult: 107 matches to reach 200 wickets
4 - Brett Lee: 112 matches to reach 200 wickets
5 - Allan Donald: 117 matches to reach 200 wickets
Shami was on the mend for more than a year after last playing a competitive match in the ODI World Cup 2023 final. In February 2024, he underwent surgery on his injured ankle. Following his rehab, he worked hard to get back on the Indian team. He played in the Ranji Trophy before featuring in the T20 tournament Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Shami made a return to the Indian team in the T20I series against England. He played two matches out of five and is being managed with an eye on Champions Trophy. It is not given that he will slot into the Playing XI straightaway for the first ODI against England on February 6, but shall play at least one or two of the three matches. Shami will have a chance to create history if he takes five wickets in his first ODI match after the ODI World Cup.
