Harbhajan Singh has backed Mohammed Shami for choosing not to fast during the Champions Trophy 2025 semifinal against Australia, prioritizing hydration in Dubai’s intense heat.
Highlights:
- Mohammed Shami is India’s top wicket-taker in the Champions Trophy 2025.
- Mohammed Shami took 3 wickets against Australia in the Champions Trophy 2025 semifinal.
- Harbhajan Singh said that Shami needs to hydrate himself, or else he may collapse due to the intense heat.
“You might be doing it because you are sitting at home or doing your own routine work. But when you are playing as a sportsman, if you don’t keep yourself hydrated, you might collapse,” he added.
“And of course, with the kind of heat they are playing in, I think they need to drink water. They can’t go through the game without having a drink or a snack. It’s your body, after all—you need fuel,” he said.
Harbhajan said that it is Shami’s personal choice whether he wants to fast or not. He believes the controversy will not affect Shami’s performance in the final against New Zealand on March 9.
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Shastri’s performance in Champions Trophy 2025 so far
34-year-old Shami claimed three wickets against Australia. In the match against New Zealand, Rohit Sharma limited him to just four overs to avoid exerting him. Shami was injured in the match against Pakistan and couldn’t bowl his full quota of 10 overs. Before two wicket-less games, he took a fifer against Bangladesh in India’s campaign opener. He is India’s leading wicket-taker in the tournament so far.
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He has been leading the pace attack in the absence of the injured Jasprit Bumrah. In the last two games, he was the only specialist pacer in the team, as Varun Chakravarthy replaced Harshit Rana. Shami has shared the new ball with pace-bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya.
