In the realm of the ODI World Cup, Mohammed Shami’s relentless expedition reached a momentous juncture during the semifinal clash against New Zealand, unfurling an unparalleled feat.
The adept right-arm pacer, Shami, etched his name in history by surging as the quickest bowler to seize 50 wickets in the annals of the ODI World Cup. This distinction materialized when he ensnared Tom Latham, casting a spell over the brimming Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Shami’s ascent to this pinnacle unfolded in a mere 17 innings, eclipsing the prior record held by the Australian pace maestro, Mitchell Starc, who traversed 19 innings to reach this illustrious milestone.
Delving into the temporal dimension, Shami clinched his 50 wickets with 795 deliveries, a stark comparison to Starc’s 941. Notably, he etched his name in the annals as the inaugural Indian bowler to achieve this landmark and the seventh globally to amass 50 wickets in the World Cup.
Shami, in an orchestration of prowess, proceeded to inscribe his career zenith with figures of 7/57, propelling India to the final with a commanding 70-run triumph over New Zealand.
This marked Shami’s fourth quintet-haul in the overarching chronicles of the World Cup, eclipsing Starc’s precedent. Having languished on the bench for the preliminary quartet of matches, Shami now revels in what appears to be the zenith of his form, boasting an impressive tally of 23 wickets in six encounters, including three instances of claiming five wickets.
In the pantheon of wicket-taking luminaries, Aussie great Glenn McGrath reigns supreme with 71 scalps, closely pursued by the stalwart from Sri Lanka, Muttiah Muralitharan, with 68 wickets.