Mohammed Shami has taken 598 wickets across Tests, One-Day Internationals and T20 cricket. That is 229 in Tests, 200 in ODIs and 169 in twenty-over cricket. He has bowled more than 20,000 balls for India and six IPL franchises, and he is one of the most complete seam bowlers India has produced. His wrist position and upright seam made him a threat with the old ball and the new, in white clothes and coloured ones.
This profile uses the CricMind global cricket database, built from the Cricsheet ball-by-ball archive. Every figure comes from those scorecards. The full file is on Mohammed Shami's player page.
Where Mohammed Shami Stands in the Game
Shami has been most valuable in conditions that suit batting. His method is a high wrist, a seam that stays upright and lengths that make batters play. On flat pitches that let some bowlers down, he still got the ball to move off the surface, and that is what made him so important in India's attacks at home and away.
The archive records 11,515 balls in Test cricket, the main body of work in his career, plus 5,223 in ODIs and 3,406 in T20 cricket. Across the three formats he has 598 wickets, the kind of total only a few Indian fast bowlers have reached.
His T20 career covers India and six franchise names:
- India (T20 Internationals)
- Delhi Daredevils, now Delhi Capitals
- Kings XI Punjab and Punjab Kings
- Gujarat Titans
- Sunrisers Hyderabad
- Lucknow Super Giants
- Kolkata Knight Riders
Career Statistics by Format
| Format | Mat | Runs | Bat Avg | HS | 50s | 100s | Wkts | Bowl Avg | Econ | Balls/Wkt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 64 | 750 | 11.90 | 56 | 2 | 0 | 229 | 27.71 | 3.31 | 50.3 |
| ODI | 105 | 224 | 8.00 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 200 | 24.32 | 5.59 | 26.1 |
| T20 | 156 | 122 | 5.81 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 169 | 29.26 | 8.71 | 20.2 |
T20 figures combine T20 Internationals and franchise cricket as recorded in the Cricsheet archive. Balls per wicket is derived from balls bowled divided by wickets.
Test Cricket: 229 Wickets at 27.71
Shami's Test record is the core of his case as a great. In 64 matches he bowled in 122 innings and took 229 wickets for 6,346 runs. That is an average of 27.71 and an economy of 3.31.
The key number is the strike rate of about 50 balls per wicket. He took a wicket every eight or nine overs, a high rate for a seamer who did much of his work on the subcontinent. India's spinners often controlled the scoring from one end. Shami's job was to take wickets from the other, and the strike rate shows he did it.
He was also a lower-order hitter in Tests, which surprises many fans. He scored 750 runs at a strike rate of 74.6, with two fifties and a top score of 56. The figure that stands out is 25 Test sixes. In a format where tailenders usually block, Shami often swung hard. Those cameos added runs at the end of innings.
ODI Cricket: 200 Wickets at 24.32
In ODIs, Shami's wicket rate is his biggest asset. He took 200 wickets in 105 matches, nearly two a game, and averaged a wicket every 26 balls. Bowling in all 105 innings, he sent down 5,223 deliveries for 4,865 runs. That gives an average of 24.32 and an economy of 5.59.
The pattern is clear. Shami was a wicket-taker first. An economy above five and a half is not miserly, but a strike rate of 26 means the opposition was losing a batter roughly every four overs he bowled. In 50-over cricket that matters a great deal. Early wickets slow the scoring in the middle overs, and late wickets bring an innings to a close.
T20 Cricket: 169 Wickets in 156 Matches
Shami's T20 numbers cover T20 Internationals and his long IPL career with six franchises: 169 wickets from 158 bowling innings, an average of 29.26 and an economy of 8.71.
The strike rate, about 20 balls per wicket, is again the best of his figures. He has averaged more than a wicket per match. Teams have mostly used him with the new ball, looking for early breakthroughs while the field is up. That is the most expensive phase to bowl in, which explains why his economy is higher than in the longer formats.
What the Numbers Show
Four points stand out in Mohammed Shami's career:
- Strike rate in every format. About 50 balls per wicket in Tests, 26 in ODIs and 20 in T20. In each format his job was to take wickets.
- Close to 600 wickets. 598 across three formats places him among India's leading fast bowlers by volume.
- Effective in Indian conditions. A Test strike rate of about 50 for a seamer who bowled so much of his cricket on the subcontinent shows real skill.
- Lower-order hitting. Twenty-five Test sixes and two Test fifties from a number-ten batter.
For comparison with other leading wicket-takers, see the all-time cricket records, or browse the Test cricket hub and the ODI hub.
FAQ
How many international and T20 wickets has Mohammed Shami taken?
The Cricsheet archive records 598 wickets: 229 in Tests, 200 in ODIs and 169 in T20 cricket. The T20 figure combines T20 Internationals and the IPL.
What is Mohammed Shami's Test bowling average?
His Test bowling average is 27.71, with an economy of 3.31 and a strike rate of about 50 balls per wicket across 64 Tests.
Which IPL teams has Mohammed Shami played for?
Delhi Daredevils, Kings XI Punjab and Punjab Kings, Gujarat Titans, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders.
What is Mohammed Shami's highest Test score?
His highest Test score is 56. He has two Test fifties and 25 Test sixes.