New Delhi, April 2 – Former Indian cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara believes that star Indian bowler Mohammed Shami has begun his path to redemption after a brilliant performance in Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) opening match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 against Delhi Capitals (DC) played at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Wednesday.
Despite returning figures of 1-28, Shami made a significant impact during the powerplay, setting the tone for his team with early control and tactical precision.
"This season of the IPL is very important for Mohammed Shami, and the way he started the tournament with this performance against DC shows that he is serious. Yes, his figures read 1 for 28, but it was Shami who played a crucial role in helping his team get off to a strong start in the powerplay," Pujara told Jio Hotstar.
The experienced seamer dismissed KL Rahul on the very first ball of the run chase with a well-planned delivery.
“He first got rid of KL Rahul on the very first ball of the run chase, and full credit to Shami. He knew that Rahul loves to play the inside-out shot, so he bowled a wide delivery. Rahul played the inside-out shot, but it went straight into the hands of the deep point fielder,” he explained.
Beyond the wicket, Pujara highlighted Shami’s ability to apply pressure by maintaining tight lines and restricting scoring opportunities.
“Then, he restricted the run flow by bowling tight lines and did not allow the batters to score runs,” he added.
Pujara also pointed to Shami’s consistent performances in domestic cricket over the past year as a key factor behind his strong start to the season.
“Shami has been playing domestic cricket across all formats in the last year, and the performances have been good. He is translating his domestic form into the IPL,” he said. “This performance against Delhi is just the beginning of Mohammed Shami’s road to redemption,” he added.
Despite Shami's brilliant spell, Delhi Capitals chased down the 142-run target in just 17.1 overs and handed a 6-wicket defeat to LSG.
