Mohammed Shami: First Indian with 7 ODI Wickets

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Mohammed Shami became the first India bowler to pick seven wickets in an ODI during the side's World Cup semifinal against New Zealand in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Shami ended with figures of 7/57 as India bowled out the Kiwis for 327 to advance to the final of the World Cup.

With his seven wickets on Wednesday at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Shami needed just 17 matches to reach the landmark – two games quicker than previous record holder Mitchell Starc of Australia.

His tight-pace bowling was the reason India could smell an overwhelming victory when a while ago it looked like the duo of Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell would chase down the mammoth 398-run target. "Well played Shami," said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on X platform minutes after India's comprehensive win.

Shami also registered India’s best-ever bowling figures at the World Cup. “I was waiting for my chances,” Shami said after he wrecked New Zealand’s hopes of reaching the final.

He didn’t feature in India’s first four games at the World Cup, but he made an impressive entry at Dharamsala with figures of 5-54 against New Zealand in the group stage.

He went on to take 11 more wickets in the next three games against England, Sri Lanka, and South Africa before returning to a rare wicketless game against the Netherlands.

“My return started against New Zealand,” the fast bowler said.

With a tally of 23 wickets so far, Shami is also the leading wicket-taker in the tournament after figuring in just six games.

Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar hailed Shami for his seven-wicket spell, posting on X: “What a Shami-final!!!!!! Well done India for a superb batting display and a spectacular bowling performance to get into the final.”

He grabbed the wickets of openers Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra with his impressive seam movement as he found the outside edges of both inside the batting powerplay.

And just when it looked like century-maker Daryl Mitchell (134) and Williamson (69) could threaten the tall target of 398, Shami’s twin strike provided India with the needed breakthroughs.

He completed his five-wicket haul when Mitchell was also caught in the deep before he claimed two more wickets in his last over to bowl out New Zealand for 327 and complete a perfect night for the hosts.

Shami said his team was determined not to let the chance of winning a home World Cup slip out of their hands.

“Last two World Cups, we lost in the semifinals. Who knows when or if we’ll get a chance, so we wanted to do everything for this, one chance we didn’t want to let go,” he said after winning the Player of the Match award.

“Who knows when the next chance might come.”