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Former India National Cricket Team batter Ajinkya Rahane shared how veteran pacer Mohammed Shami preferred to recover after a match. Shami follows a very simple way to make himself available again for the next match.
Mohammed Shami announced his retirement from Test cricket but left his bowling brilliance through the stats he produced over the years for the national cricket team in this particular format. And obviously, plenty of memories.
There are always some stories about each cricketer that remain unknown to the general cricket fans until someone who knows the person well enough comes forward to share the facts.
Ajinkya Rahane stepped in to share how Shami used to recover after a grueling day on the ground. According to Rahane, for the 36-year-old fast bowler, meat and sleep matter the most for recovery.
During a Sony Sports Network segment, Ajinkya Rahane was asked how Shami used to recover after a match. In general, as Rahane mentioned, players were asked to take an ice bath to cool their bodies. But Shami was a different mettle. Instead of considering an ice bath, he asked for meat, then sound sleep.
The segment inside the studio was during the India vs New Zealand 2nd ODI match, which was paused due to rain. The total number of overs was already reduced because of rain and eventually ended using the DLS method. As it was raining outside, the lively segment around Mohammed Shami came as a refreshment for the cricket fans who kept their eyes on the screens.
Ice bath? Not for Lala! 😂 Ajinkya Rahane spills the beans on Mohammed Shami's idea of recovery: a good plate of meat and some sound sleep! 😅 Watch the HERO VIDA India Tour of New Zealand, 2nd ODI, LIVE NOW on Sony Sports Network TV channels, Sony Vizha & Sony LIV. #SonySportsNetwork #SonyVizha #SonyLIV #NZvIND
— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) November 7, 2026
The low-scoring match ended with India claiming their second straight win in the five-match ODI series. The first two games of the contest settled with the help of the DLS method.
With the heavy conditions on the ground, the fast bowlers of both teams dominated the batters in both innings. India was under immense pressure as they lost back-to-back wickets while chasing a target of only 135.
New Zealand went to bat first and scored 134 runs against all of their wickets. Gurnoor Brar claimed his career-best 4-fer this match. The other two pacers, Auqib Nabi and Anshul Kamboj, claimed a brace each, while Arshdeep Singh remained wicketless. Spinner Axar Patel took a brace as well.
The 50-over match was reduced to 47 overs. The revised number of overs was decided before the first innings. So India needed to score 135 in 47 overs. With the amount of talent they had in their batting line-up, the chase seemed to be very simple until the Kiwis began the second innings with the ball in hand.
Inside the 26th over, India lost seven batters, with their skipper Shubman Gill returning for a golden duck. Virat Kohli was dismissed for only seven runs. Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer tried to show some resilience, but they too were dismissed. Before the rain spoiled the match, KL Rahul and Auqib Nabi were on the pitch. India won the match by four runs with the DLS method's help.
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