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Mohammad Shami didn't start the 2019 World Cup as India's primary seamer; he only stepped into the starting XI for the Afghanistan game after Bhuvneshwar Kumar got injured. Initially, this was seen as a short-term fix, since Bhuvneshwar was projected to return in a couple of matches. The veteran Bhuvneshwar had already proven his worth in the tournament, claiming 2/44 and 3/50 against South Africa and Australia. It seemed inevitable that he would reclaim his spot the moment he recovered, unless Shami could pull off something truly extraordinary to keep the selectors guessing.Mohammad Shami didn’t start as the first choice seamer for India in World Cup 2019. However, an injury to Bhuvneshwar Kumar paved the way for his entry into the Indian XI in the match against Afghanistan. Shami’s outing was expected to be a short bout, for Bhuvneshwar was supposed to recover within a space of just two matches. The wily seamer had already made his mark in the tournament with spells of 2/44 and 3/50 against teams like South Africa and Australia respectively. So, it was more than certain that he was going to replace Shami in the lineup once he recovers, unless Shami comes up with something miraculous and spellbinding.
And guess what?
Shami did exactly that.
Shami did exactly that. After dismantling Afghanistan with a match-winning hat-trick (finishing 4/40 in 9.5 overs), he followed it up with another dominant performance against the West Indies, taking 4 wickets for just 16 runs. Now that Bhuvneshwar is back in training, India's management has a 'pleasant problem' on their hands for the England clash. While both bowlers have performed well, Shami's recent impact—both with the new ball and during the middle overs—is simply too strong to ignore.
In fact, since returning to the ODI squad last year, Shami has been the most prolific wicket-taker among India's pace attack. He has claimed 30 wickets in 15 appearances, maintaining a sharp average of 23.26 and an impressive strike rate of 26.70. Bhuvneshwar follows closely behind with
27 wickets, though he has played one more match than Shami. Jasprit Bumrah ranks third with 22 wickets in 13 games; while his average of 23.22 is slightly superior to both Shami (23.62) and Bhuvneshwar, Shami wins on efficiency. With a strike rate of 26.7, Shami is the most lethal of the three, followed by Bhuvneshwar at 27.20, while Bumrah takes longer to strike, averaging a wicket every 31.80 balls.
When looking specifically at performances in England, the gap becomes even more apparent. Shami has taken 16 wickets at a stunning average of 13.00 and a strike rate of 18.2. In contrast, Bhuvneshwar has 23 wickets, but his average (26.91) and strike rate (36) are nearly double those of Shami. While Bhuvneshwar's numbers are respectable, the data clearly shows that Shami is far more effective in English conditions.
Beyond the numbers, Shami has always been a natural wicket-taker. He holds the record for the fastest Indian bowler to reach 100 ODI wickets, achieving the milestone in just 56 matches. Bhuvneshwar, conversely, has a less flattering record in this regard, taking 96 matches to reach the same mark—40 games more than Shami.
Given these factors, the Indian team management needs to weigh their options carefully before the high-stakes game against England. Bhuvneshwar has sometimes struggled to provide an early breakthrough, whereas Shami has been consistently aggressive and successful in the last two outings. Furthermore, replacing a bowler in peak form with someone returning from injury is rarely a winning strategy. For these reasons, Shami is the logical choice for the upcoming fixtures.
Written by: Prasenjit Dey