Troubled Mohammed Shami gets Gautam Gambhir's support

What's the matter

The last few months haven't been the best of times for Mohammed Shami. Beset with legal problems against his wife, Hasin Jahan, the troubled pacer has had a difficult year, facing multiple charges off the field.

Amidst all this, his return to the Delhi Daredevils nets, however, was welcomed by captain Gautam Gambhir, who praised the pacer's bowling in one of the sessions, something that would have done the 28-year-old a world of good.

In case you didn't know...

Shami's wife of three years, Jahan threw multiple allegations at the pacer earlier this year, ranging from extra-marital affairs to match-fixing claims, which led to the BCCI withholding his central contract for a few weeks, something that caused a massive uproar on social media.

He was subsequently cleared to play the IPL by BCCI's Anti-Corruption Unit and joined the Delhi Daredevils' pre-IPL camp recently.

The heart of the matter

Sidelined for a week after being involved in a road accident, Shami took to the Daredevils nets earlier this week, sporting a bandaged head that received stitches after his car crashed into a truck.

Playing against the newly-appointed captain Gambhir in the nets, Shami received the backing of the skipper, who praised him for "bowling in the right lengths, and producing good deliveries consistently".

What's next?

With Gambhir back at the helm, the Delhi Daredevils will look to shed their tag of being perennial underachievers as they kickstart the new IPL edition with their first game against the Kings XI Punjab on April 8.

Author's take

While it has been a difficult period for Shami to deal with, especially because his personal issues have been thrown for the public to discuss as tea-time gossip, the talented pacer is back to being what he does best, making a cricket ball talk.

The words of praise from Gambhir would surely act as a spur to the Amroha-born, who will be looking to make his mark under the leadership of one of IPL's most successful captains.

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