Mohammed Shami was India's leading fast bowler in the 2015 World Cup in Australia, when the team marched into the semi-finals and picked up 77 out of 80 wickets on offer. It was later revealed that he had played through that entire tournament - and the preceding Test series against the hosts, essentially four months - through a knee injury. His success can be attributed to his pace, accuracy and primarily his skill in moving the ball - both old and new.

There were plenty of frustrating times as well. Shami was hopeful of a return to the Indian team in early 2016, but a hamstring injury ruled him out a limited-overs tour of Australia and the Asia Cup in February. He was selected in a 15-man squad for the World T20 in March, but was unable to break into the XI having spent a year out of international cricket.

Shami hails from Uttar Pradesh, but plays first-class cricket for Bengal from where he was noticed. He had played only 15 first-class and 15 List A games when he was drafted into India's ODI team to play Pakistan in Delhi in January 2013. He showed the faith wasn't misplaced and returned figures of 9-4-23-1 in a 10-run win, thus becoming only the eighth bowler, and the first Indian, to bowl four or more maiden overs on his ODI debut. His Test debut, which happened in November that year against the touring West Indies, was even more spectacular. He reverse-swung the old ball appreciably, and at good pace, in the two-match series to take 11 wickets at 16.54. In the summer that followed in England, Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, recorded the second-highest 10th wicket partnership for India in Tests, when they put on 111 runs against England in Nottingham.

Shami's quick promotion to international cricket was the result of impressive performances in the 2012-13 Ranji Trophy: in five matches he took 28 wickets at 21.35, including two ten-wicket hauls, against Madhya Pradesh and Hyderabad. He has also enjoyed early success in the Twenty20 format, picking up 14 wickets in his first eight domestic Twenty20 games, and was signed by Kolkata Knight Riders for the 2011 IPL season. He got his first game for them in 2013, and was acquired by Delhi Daredevils in 2014, who retained him in 2016 despite his missing the entire 2015 season with injury.
ESPNcricinfo staff