IPL 2026: Shami dismissed Abhishek with variation developed days ago, reveals LSG spin bowling coach Crowe

Experienced pacer Mohammed Shami produced a match-winning spell for Lucknow Super Giants against Sunrisers Hyderabad in their last match. Now  LSG’s spin bowling coach Carl Crowe has made a stunning revelation regarding the pacer's preparation.

Crowe revealed that the seasoned pacer had worked on a fresh variation with fast bowling coach Bharat Arun merely four days before the Hyderabad fixture. Notably, the same delivery helped Shami dismiss Abhishek Sharma off the final ball of the opening over.

“Would you believe Bharat and Shami worked on a new ball four days before the game, and Shami bowled that ball to dismiss Abhishek,” Crowe was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.

The dismissal came off a clever slower one outside the off stump, producing a thick edge that was safely caught at short third. Interestingly, Shami had already removed the slip fielder on ball before the dismissal, setting up the batter tactically.

Crowe applauded Shami’s hunger to keep improving despite having achieved so much. He highlighted the pacer’s willingness to learn and adapt, crediting both his mindset and the guidance of coach Arun, who has previously worked with him in the Indian setup.

“So, I think lots of us out there young cricketers and old cricketers are never too old to learn a new skill. and the fact that in four days they learned that new skill, delivered that ball and got Abhishek out, I think it's testament to not only Bharat, his coaching, but also Mohammed Shami's mindset that, as a senior player, he's still very willing to develop new skills, trying to push his game,” Crowe continued.

Shami delivered a standout spell, completing his quota as early as the ninth over. He also remove Travis Head with his off-pace variation, finishing with exceptional figures of 4-0-9-2,  the most economical spell recorded in the IPL since 2021.

When asked about Shami’s potential role at the death versus his current utilization in the Powerplay, Crowe remained non-committal but emphasised the pacer’s effectiveness with the new ball. 

“The one thing I do think is when Mohamed Shami's on the run, he's very difficult to play. So, if the ball's swinging around, are there many better guys in India? Probably not. So, you know, you're going to take advantage of that. So, if the ball is swinging, you're going to use it to his strengths,” he concluded.

The Rishabh Pant-led side will now take on KKR in their next match on April 9 at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata.