Mohammed Shami Ahmed was born on 3 September 1990 in Sahaspur, Amroha, Uttar Pradesh. Raised in a modest farmer’s family, his father Tauseef Ali played fast bowling at an amateur level. At 15, Shami moved to Moradabad under coach Badruddin Siddique to refine his skills, particularly mastering reverse swing by practicing with old balls. After being overlooked by Uttar Pradesh U-19, he relocated to Kolkata in 2005, joining Town Club and later Mohun Bagan—where legends like Sourav Ganguly spotted him—leading to his Bengal selection in the 2010–11 Ranji Trophy.
Shami stands out for his seam and swing mastery—especially reverse swing—bowling consistently at 145–150 km/h and topping at 153.2 km/h. His strong wrist and cricket IQ allow him to thrive in death overs and seam-friendly conditions, earning descriptions of being “unplayable” at times. Off-field, he maintains disciplined fitness and often adapts training loads to manage workload effectively.
Shami is one of five children. His family has always backed him emotionally—critical during his 2020 mental health struggles. He married Hasin Jahan in 2014, and they share a child. Around 2020, family issues impacted his mental well-being; he openly acknowledged suicidal thoughts and credited his family with saving his life. In November 2023, he earned praise for rescuing an accident victim near Nainital
Shami’s early days in domestic cricket were marked by perseverance. After performing well in the UP U-17 and U-19 circuits, he quickly rose to the UP B-team, debuting in the Ranji Trophy during the 2010–11 season. In his very first match, he picked up five wickets—a glimpse of the potential he held.
Over the next few years, his performances only improved:
2012–13 Ranji: 36 wickets
2014–15: 40 wickets at an average of 23.1
2013 Vijay Hazare Trophy: 4/27 vs Delhi
2015–16 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy: 21 wickets in T20 format
Shami debuted in ODIs on January 6, 2013, against Pakistan. He made his T20I debut on March 21, 2014, vs Pakistan. His Test debut came in November 2013 against West Indies—taking a five-wicket haul (5/3) on debut—the first Indian to do so.
| Format | Matches (M) | Innings (Inn) | Balls (B) | Runs | Wickets (Wkts) | Average (Avg) | Economy (Econ) | Strike Rate (SR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 64 | 122 | 11515 | 6346 | 229 | 27.71 | 3.31 | 50.28 |
| ODI | 108 | 107 | 5326 | 4955 | 206 | 24.05 | 5.58 | 25.85 |
| T20I | 25 | 25 | 510 | 761 | 27 | 28.19 | 8.95 | 18.89 |
Shami became fastest Indian to 100 ODI wickets during 2014 Asia Cup—29 innings .
In 2015 World Cup, took 17 wickets while battling knee pain; later underwent surgery.
At the 2019 World Cup, he claimed a hat-trick vs Afghanistan and ended with 14 wickets in 4 matches, making him most lethal bowler from India.
In ICC World Cup 2023, he topped charts with 24 wickets in seven games, including a memorable 7/57 in the semi-final—India’s best ODI figures.
Fastest to 50 World Cup wickets and recipient of the 2023 Arjuna Award.
Played pivotal role in 2025 Champions Trophy; fastest to 200 ODI wickets and India’s top ICC tournament wicket-taker
Shami debuted in IPL in 2013 with KKR (1 wicket in 3 matches), moved to Delhi Daredevils/Capitals (2014–18) with variable impact due to injuries. In 2019, he joined Punjab Kings (formerly KXIP), becoming their leading wicket-taker with 19, 20, and 19 wickets over 2019–21 . Released in 2022, he was bought by Gujarat Titans, taking 20 wickets as they won the title in their debut season. In 2023, he won the Purple Cap with 28 wickets and set a record with 17 powerplay wickets. Over 109 matches, Shami claimed 127 IPL wickets
Shami has faced several setbacks:
Knee issues (2015): Played through pain, later had surgery.
Shoulder/knee problems (2017–18): Limited selection and personal issues delayed his progress .
Post-2020 mental health and knee recovery period.
After missing series, he returned to take 7 wickets in Australia 2020 ODI series .
Today he manages workload prudently, balancing IPL demands and fitness
