Shami-Shah rare meetup; Rumours afloat about Indian seamer joining BJP soon

Sunday 26 November, 2023 | 7:13 PM READ MALAYALAM VERSION

Indian seamer Mohammed Shami was a revelation in the recently concluded World Cup cricket tournament. Shami excelled with the bowl and registered his name in the rankings with the most number of wickets from the tournament. And now, after India’s heartbreaking loss in the final to Australia, the Indian pace bowler is back again in the news for some varied reasons. According to reports, Mohammed Shami is being considered by BJP top brass as a possible candidate material for the next Lok Sabha elections. Shami recently posted his image along with Amit Shah and national security advisor Ajit Doval which compounded the doubts.

Shami was recently spotted in an Egas celebration conducted by a BJP leader in Delhi. Indeed, the cricketer from Uttar Pradesh was the chief guest during the function. Home Minister Amit Shah and National Security Advisor Ait Doval were in attendance during the same function and Shami met them both afterwards. It is not just the pictures of Shami along with BJP doyens that raised many eyebrows but the unusual bonhomie Shami now cherishes with UP CM Yogi Adityanath that makes things more complex. Yogi has recently ordered the construction of a cricket stadium in Shami’s native village Amroha, dedicated to the cricket's mesmerizing performance in the World Cup.

Also, PM Modi specifically embraced Shami in the dressing room 'morale booster' after India’s World Cup defeat. In a recent interaction with ANI, Shami admitted that PM Modi speaking to the players in the dressing room gave them confidence. If rumours are to be believed, the BJP will groom Shami to contest against Danish Ali of BSP from Shami’s own village of Amroha.

It is expected that Shami won't hurry to join the BJP but will concentrate on his cricket career instead. However, it is also doubted that the 33-year-old pacer will soon call it a day to be involved in active politics.