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Shami's IPL Redemption Road Begins With Key Wicket, Says Pujara

Cheteshwar Pujara highlighted Mohammed Shami's promising debut for Lucknow Super Giants, stating his wicket of KL Rahul on the first ball of the chase marks the start of a redemption path. Pujara noted Shami is successfully translating his strong domestic form into the IPL, bowling tight lines to restrict the flow of runs. Despite Shami's efforts, LSG fell short as Delhi Capitals, powered by Sameer Rizvi's unbeaten 70, chased down 141 comfortably. Shami, returning from injury and now with LSG, is seen as crucial for a strong powerplay start this important season.

Key Points: Pujara: Shami's DC Performance Starts Redemption Road

  • Shami takes key wicket on first ball
  • Pujara praises translation of domestic form
  • LSG lost despite Shami's effort
  • DC won riding on Rizvi's 70*
2 min read

"Performance against DC is just beginning of Shami's road to redemption": Pujara

Cheteshwar Pujara says Mohammed Shami's impactful IPL debut for LSG, including KL Rahul's wicket, is just the start of his comeback journey.

"This performance against Delhi is just the beginning of Mohammed Shami's road to redemption. - Cheteshwar Pujara"

New Delhi, April 2

Delhi Capitals clinched a six-wicket victory against the Lucknow Super Giants on Wednesday to start their Indian Premier League 2026 campaign with a thumping win, but what stood out for Cheteshwar Pujara was the eye-catching performance of Mohammed Shami, who made his debut for the LSG.

Pujara believes that Shami's 'road to redemption' is not far, and he is converting his domestic performances into the IPL.

Speaking on Star Sports, the former India cricketer said, "Shami has been playing domestic cricket across all formats in the last year, and the performances have been good. He is translating his domestic form into the IPL. This performance against Delhi is just the beginning of Mohammed Shami's road to redemption."

Asked to bat first, LSG were bowled out for 141 thanks to the seamers Lungi Ngidi and T Natarajan's three wickets apiece. Riding on Sameer Rizvi's unbeaten 70 runs, DC chased down the target comfortably and started their campaign with an easy two points.

While defending the target, Shami got a wicket on the very first delivery of Delhi Capitals' innings when he got rid of opener batter KL Rahul with a catch by Mohsin Khan at the deep point.

"He first got rid of KL Rahul on the very first ball of the run chase, and full credit to Shami. He knew that Rahul loves to play the inside-out shot, so he bowled a wide delivery. Rahul played the inside-out shot, but it went straight into the hands of the deep point fielder. Then, he restricted the run flow by bowling tight lines and did not allow the batters to score runs," Pujara said.

The 35-year-old Shami was the standout performer for the Gujarat Titans, where the GT won the title and finished as runner-ups in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, respectively. He missed the 2024 season due to injury and played for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2025 season. This year, he is representing LSG and has started well for the franchise.

Talking about Shami's impactful start to the IPL 2026, he said, "This season of the IPL is very important for Mohammed Shami, and the way he started off the tournament with this performance against DC shows he means business. Yes, his figures read 1 for 28, but it was Shami who played a crucial role in helping his side get off to a strong start in the powerplay."

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Interesting analysis. As a newer cricket fan, Pujara's breakdown of that first delivery to Rahul was really helpful. Shows the mental game behind the scenes. Hope Shami keeps this form!
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Ananya R
Fully agree with Chetu bhai! Shami is a warrior. After that injury layoff, to come back and deliver such a disciplined spell shows his class. 1/28 doesn't tell the full story. LSG's bowling looks stronger with him.
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Vikram M
Respect to Pujara, but let's not get carried away with "redemption" after one match. The real test is consistency throughout the tournament. Also, LSG's batting collapsed badly—bowlers can only do so much. Need a better team effort.
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Karthik V
That ball to KL was a dream start for any bowler! Shami's seam position is still a thing of beauty. If he stays fit, he can be a dark horse for the T20 World Cup squad. Fingers crossed! 🤞
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Michael C
Good to see veterans like Pujara providing such nuanced commentary. It adds depth to the broadcast. Shami's journey post-injury is a compelling storyline for this IPL season.

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