India’s dream of securing a third Cricket World Cup title came to an end in a heart-breaking final against Australia on November 19, 2023. Despite strong performances throughout the tournament, India faced challenges due to slow pitch conditions in Ahmedabad and strategic mistakes.
The middle order struggled, resulting in a modest target of 240, with KL Rahul contributing a half-century. However, Australia’s Travis Head followed up the successful chase with a century to win their sixth World Cup title. Despite the brilliant performance of Virat Kohli, he got the title of Player of the Tournament, but this defeat disappointed the Indian team and the fans.
Mohammed Shami, who left a remarkable mark by taking 24 wickets in the World Cup, expressed the team’s disappointment and spoke to PTI about this painful defeat.
“The whole country was feeling dejected. We tried our best to keep the momentum and achieve the final victory. However, it is difficult to pinpoint where things went wrong. It’s difficult to explain and it’s a very painful feeling,” he said.
Despite the team’s setback, Shami created history by becoming the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with an impressive performance of 7/57 in the semi-finals.
His exceptional performances throughout the World Cup, taking a total of 24 wickets in 7 matches at a remarkable average of 9.13, established him as an extraordinary bowler in Indian cricket history.
