Watch: Mohammed Shami receives Arjuna Award from President of India Droupadi Murmu

Mohammed Shami received the Arjuna Award from President of India.

Veteran Indian pacer Mohammed Shami had a fantastic 2023 with his individual performances. He ended the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 as the leading wicket-taker, despite missing the first four matches. Shami picked up 24 wickets in just 7 matches at an average of 10.70 and a strike rate of 12.20. He also registered the best bowling figures by an Indian pacer in World Cup history with his 7/57 against New Zealand in the semi-final.

He was not part of the first four matches and warmed the bench. Shami got his chance in the playing XI after Hardik Pandya suffered an ankle injury in the game against Bangladesh in Pune. Hence, Shami’s inclusion was a forced change, but it proved to be a master stroke for Indian team, and the pacer ended up being the most successful bowler of the tournament.

Mohammed Shami honored with Arjuna Award

For his consistent performances over the years, the pacer was selected to receive the prestigious Arjuna Award for his selfless contribution to Indian cricket. In a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Mohammed Shami was honored with the award from President of India, Droupadi Murmu. Arjuna Award is the second-highest award for an athlete in India after the Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. The last Indian male cricketer to receive this award was Shikhar Dhawan.

After getting honored, Shami said, “This award is a dream, life passes and people are not able to win this award. I am happy that I have been nominated for this award.” There were a total of 26 athletes from different sports who received this award at the ceremony. Most of the athletes who did well in Asian Games 2023 dominated the list.

Watch the video here:

India won a total of 70 medals at Asian Games 2023, which was the best ever medal tally for them in history. On the other hand, Mohammed Shami has been out of action since the World Cup 2023. He missed the tour of South Africa and is likely to miss the first two test matches in the upcoming five-match series against England.

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