Pace bowler Mohammad Shami shared his thoughts on his Indian team nickname and who might have given it to him. He suggested that it was likely Virat Kohli, as only he could come up with such names. In an interview with News 24, Shami admitted that he wasn’t sure how the nickname originated.
He also revealed that he had wondered about its meaning. In the Indian squad, he is affectionately called ‘Lala’.
“I also do not know when it became permanent. Virat may have done it. He only does such things. I was just thinking, once, what kind of a name is Lala, even Shahid Afridi had that name. But I did not understand why I had this name. I am not fat.”
“There are people (lala) who do jewelry work, but I don’t do that as well. But when you come to the team, you get some names. If you try to argue about it, they irritate you more in the team. So I let it be,” he said. (56:36)
Mohammad Shami was asked about who he considers the best batters. With a laugh, he said he would have picked himself if he had the option. Among established players, he selected Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Sachin Tendulkar. For the upcoming talents, he highlighted Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
“No Batter Has Ever Intimidated Me, Kohli and Rohit Are Legends”- Shami
In that interview, Mohammad Shami was questioned about whether there was any batter he found intimidating to bowl to. He replied that no batter had ever put that kind of pressure on him. He was also asked who he found more challenging to bowl to in the IPL—Kohli or Rohit.
“There has been no batter till now in front of me who would come in my dreams, or I have to think a lot about or take pressure before the match. It depends on who is set. Both (Kohli and Rohit) are great players, and both are big individuals in Indian history. They have made a name for themselves,” he said. (48:44)
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