Indian bowler Mohammed Shami heaped praise on captain Virat Kohli, insisting that his backing was key to the bowlers performing consistently.
Mohammed Shami is one of India's most successful pacers in recent times. The bowler shined for the side during the 2019 World Cup, and bettered his performances in the home season across all the three formats of the game. Shami remains India's one of the few players to play in all the formats, thanks to his consistent performances with the ball.
In an interview with IANS, Shami has credited his run to Indian captain Virat Kohli, saying that his backing is key to his success. He also said that Virat gave the bowlers the 'freedom' to express themselves, which helped them raise their game.
"Do I need to say this? I think the results bear testimony to the fact that Virat backs us to the core. He has always given us that freedom to do what we feel confident about. Also, it is very important at the international level to have a captain who knows your strengths and weaknesses and also backs you. This, in turn, helps you raise your game," said Shami.
"Also, Virat has a lot of trust in our abilities and he gets the result because as a bowler, all you need is for the captain to back you and believe in you and your vision."
Further talking about Virat Kohli, when Shami was asked if the Indian captain had any weakness as a batsman, the bowler gave an honest answer.
"There are a lot of things that come with playing and spending quality time with another player. You not only come to know of his strengths, but also of his weaknesses. As a bowler, you need to keep working on the weak zones. There is no denying the fact that he is the best in the business, but even the best has those little flaws which you can work on. You just need to pick on one factor and focus on that," Shami said.
"Say for example, which has been the area that has troubled a batsman in recent times? You then work on that. I have dismissed him quite a few times (in the IPL) and without getting into much details, I will say you have to just work on the weak zone," he revealed.
