Mohammed Shami calls out media hype ahead of Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami has voiced his concerns over the excessive hype surrounding the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 series. Shami believes the excitement is mainly driven by India's chances for the World Test Championship (WTC) final, calling it "overhyped."

Shami has been sidelined since the ODI World Cup 2023, where India faced a tough defeat. Recently, he bowled for 45 minutes after the first Test at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru but has not yet been cleared to play internationally.

In an interview, Shami expressed his thoughts on the situation. He said, "There is too much hype being given to this trophy. We are talking about it a lot because of the championship (World Test Championship) race. I feel we don't need to talk about it that much."

The Indian pacer advised his teammates not to feel pressured ahead of the series against Australia. He emphasized that the Indian team has demonstrated its talent and skill in their last two tours of Australia. He encouraged players to concentrate on their natural skills rather than overthinking the situation.

"The boys have shown their talent and skill the last two times. I don't think you need to take a lot of pressure. You need to concentrate on your natural skill, practice, fitness, and recovery. I don't think we need to create so many difficult things," Shami said.

The five-match Test series between India and Australia is set to begin on November 22 in Perth. India has had a successful run in recent tours, winning 2-1 in their last two Test series in Australia. The last time Australia won the BGT series was in the 2014-15 season, when they triumphed 2-0 at home.

Shami also addressed concerns regarding his knee after Indian captain Rohit Sharma commented on some swelling. He clarified that his knee is currently in good shape and that the swelling was just a temporary issue. 

"It is extremely fine at the moment. I had just stopped for one week because of that as I am also sometimes worried as it's the operation leg and there shouldn't be any reaction," Shami explained. "As far as Rohit is concerned, he said it after asking us if anything was there because as a captain, he should know the reality. However, it was just for a week. I have been bowling decently for two weeks and there have been no issues thus far."