Lucknow Super Giants pacer Mohammed Shami comes to his “home” field, Eden Gardens, to take on the Kolkata Knight Riders after winning the game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, giving the opposition a subtle warning.
The struggling Kolkata Knight Riders, who are winless after three games, will play their third consecutive home game on Thursday against the Lucknow Super Giants in Kolkata.
“You always have that home advantage playing at Eden Gardens,” PTI quoted Shami as saying on Tuesday.
“You understand the conditions, the pitch behaviour because you’ve played there for a long time and spent a lot of time on that ground. So that benefit is always there. If I come here and play against KKR, there will be some advantage for me being a ‘local’.”
In their last game, the Rishabh Pant-led team defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by five wickets thanks to the fast bowler’s incredible 2/9, which included 18 dot balls.
Shami has not been included in the national team despite his steady performances for Bengal after recovering from injury. In the just finished Ranji Trophy, he was one of the top six wicket-takers, taking 37 wickets at a remarkable average of 16.72.
Bengal advanced to the semi-finals thanks in large part to Shami’s outstanding performance of 8/90, although the side ultimately lost to champions Jammu & Kashmir.
“Hum mazdoor aadmi hain, humein bas ball daalni hai (we are like labourers, we just have to keep bowling),” Shami quipped.
“There will be ups and downs in life — injuries and all — but you should never forget your ground-level hard work. If you chase too many ‘fancy things’, that becomes your weakness. Nowadays everyone is after social media.”
The bowler, who was born in Uttar Pradesh, emphasized that his passion for the game has not diminished and reaffirmed his strong bond with Bengal, referring to it as his “karm bhoomi.”
“I’m born into a farmer’s family and I’ve not left my roots. As a player, I still have that hunger. If you want to play at that level again, you must have that drive in you. For me, domestic cricket is as important as any format. I always prioritise domestic cricket, and I’ve always said this — even though I was born in Uttar Pradesh, Bengal is my ‘karm bhoomi’.
“Jab tak mere andar khelne ke liye jaan hai main Bengal ke liye kheloonga (as long as I have the strength and motivation in me, I will keep playing for Bengal),” he signed off.
