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Senior Team India pacer Mohammed Shami has issued a clarification after numerous media organizations carried reports of him taking a dig at leg-spinner Amit Mishra for his recent comments on Virat Kohli. The fast bowler termed the reports as false information and urged the media to verify news sources before publishing stories.
Shami, on Shubhankar Mishra's YouTube show 'Unplugged', bared his heart out about various facets of his personal and professional life. Some reports, quoting unverified sources, claimed that the fast bowler had taken an indirect dig at Mishra over his comments on Kohli made on the same show. The reports quoted the pacer as saying:
"Many former cricketers know that whenever they say something against Virat, their name will appear on the front page of the newspapers the next day, so they do it deliberately."
Taking to his X handle on Saturday, July 20, Shami rubbished all such reports and made it clear that he had not made any such comments on the show. Posting a screenshot of the fake news carried by a couple of media outlets, the 33-year-old wrote:
"Disappointed to see false information circulating about Amit Mishra. It's humble request to verify news sources before publishing."
During his appearance on Shubhankar Mishra's YouTube channel a few days back, Mishra had claimed that Kohli had changed with fame and power and that the two have hardly spoken recently.
The leg-spinner also compared Kohli with Rohit Sharma and commented that the Indian captain has maintained his humble nature and remains just like he was before achieving super stardom.
What Mohammed Shami said about Kohli and Rohit
Like Mishra, Shami was also asked about his equation with Kohli and Rohit, two of the biggest superstars of Indian cricket.
Giving an interesting insight into the competitive nature of the two players, the pacer said that Rohit hates facing him in the nets, while Kohli and he often engage in challenges during practice.
"Rohit to pehle hi kehta hai 'mai isko khelna pasand nahi karta'. Woh to pehle hi mana kar deta hai (Rohit says I don't like to face him, he refuses to bat against me)," Shami commented.
"Virat se to mera hamesha se rehta hai ki hum ek dusre ko challenge dete hain (We challenge each other). He likes to hit good shots, I like to get him out. The bonding and the friendship reflects in that. It also helps you focus and put in the effort as you simulate (fielding positions)," he added.
Shami was the leading wicket-taker in the 2023 ODI World Cup, claiming 24 wickets in seven games. He has been out of action since then owing to an ankle injury.
