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Mohammed Shami revealed the big dietary changes he made to make his comeback to international cricket.
Mohammed Shami made big dietary changes to make his India comeback. (AP Photo)
Mohammed Shami opened up about the drastic changes he made to his diet during his recovery period. The Indian pacer had been out of action for over a year and had taken extreme measures to change his diet and get his physical fitness to international standards.
In an interaction with the former Indian cricketer and now commentator Navjot Singh Sidhu, Shami revealed that his diet was reduced to just one meal per day, something that he has now gotten used to.
“After 2015, I only have one meal a day. I only have dinner; no breakfast, no lunch. It is very difficult to do such a thing but once you get used to it then it becomes very easy,” said Shami.
The 34-year-old pacer had a stellar performance in India’s opening game in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 against Bangladesh where he picked up a five-wicket haul in the first innings. He also became the fastest Indian pacer to reach the 200 ODI wicket milestone as well.
The pacer was not a part of India’s games for 14 months after playing in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023. This was due to an ankle injury which brought his tremendous run in the World Cup to a halt. He required surgery and had a prolonger recovery period where he gained weight.
“I have lost nine kgs (during rehabilitation). The most difficult thing is you have to challenge yourself. When you are in this condition… when I was at the NCA, it was a very difficult phase.”
Shami said that his weight was hitting 90 kilograms but his ability to adhere to a strict regimen with regards to his nutrition certainly helped him shed those extra kilos to get him back to full fitness.
“My weight was touching 90kgs. The best thing about me is that I do not crave delicacies. I stay away from sweets. I stay away from a lot of things, things that generally one shouldn’t eat. So, I stay away from them,” said Shami who will lead the Indian bowling attack against Pakistan on Sunday.
India takes on Pakistan where both sides will look to secure the victory. The Men in Blue will look to win to ensure their spot in the semi-final while Pakistan battles for survival after being defeated in their first group game.