I am not a machine, says Shami after his match-winning performance

Mohammed Shami came back to haunt his former team, Sunrisers Hyderabad, taking the sting out of its explosive batting unit before the side was even ready to get going against Lucknow Super Giants in their IPL 2026 clash on Sunday (April 5, 2026).

“I am not a machine. My seasons can go up and down. I have performed well in the last few years. People didn’t notice, that’s a different story. But I always try to do well,” an emotional Shami declared after delivering a match-winning performance.

Besides scalping SRH openers Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head, his spell featured 18 dot balls and stifled the home side early.

“Dot balls depend on your preparation, followed by execution. Sometimes it happens that a very good ball leaves your hand. It’s important to hold that line and flow, and I did just that. Pace off works a little against Hyderabad batsmen, so I did that too,” he said.

With former India bowling coach Bharat Arun in his corner, the 35-year-old credited meticulous planning and hard work for his strong performances against Delhi Capitals and SRH.

“My strength has always been with the new ball. On that particular day, if your bowling is going well, then you put in three overs early. If three go well, then put the fourth quickly.”

When asked about playing on a familiar turf but for a different team, Shami said, “I play all over India. Everyone knows how the wicket is anywhere, what the conditions are and how to use them. It is very important to know how to use that against different teams”.