India fast bowler Mohammed Shami has opened up about life inside the Indian cricket team dressing room, his views on religious harmony, and what it means to represent the country at the highest level. The veteran pacer, who has been out of international action since India’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final against New Zealand, also spoke about the role of sport in bringing people together and shared his perspective on unity beyond religious identities.
Shami has been working hard to earn a place back in the Indian squad after recovering from injury and returning to domestic and franchise cricket. Despite consistent performances, the experienced seamer has not yet found his way back into the national side. During a recent interview with Navbharat (Times Now), however, the conversation extended beyond cricket and touched upon social issues, including religion and national identity.
When asked about the ongoing public discourse surrounding Hindus and Muslims in India, Shami made it clear that he does not believe in judging people based on religion and has never supported such divisions. “No, I don’t. You’ve probably noticed that I never support such things,” Shami said. “If someone wants to criticize me, there should at least be a valid reason. Does anyone have the courage to say something against me on this topic? Many of my closest friends are non-Muslims. It honestly makes no difference to me.”
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The 35-year-old added that as athletes reach the highest level of their careers, their priorities naturally shift towards representing the country rather than focusing on personal identities. “The bigger the platform you reach, the less these things matter. As you rise higher, your identity becomes tied to the country. At that level, you begin to see yourself representing the nation rather than any particular community.”
Shami also highlighted how representing India changes an athlete’s outlook. Drawing a comparison with members of the Indian Armed Forces, he said national duty takes precedence over every other identity.
Much respect for Mohammed Shami 🫡
Question: Do you have any problem with saying Vande Mataram?
Shami: “What is the problem with saying or singing Vande Mataram? Our faith also teaches us that if the government implements a law or rule, it is our duty to follow it. It has…
— Indian Cricket Ministry (@Tejashyyyyyy) August 4, 2026
“For example, we’re sitting here discussing these issues. But spend just one day at the border, and then I’ll tell you. When it comes to the country, these questions don’t even arise. The moment you wear your country’s badge on your chest, you forget everything else. So, these thoughts never really come to your mind.”
🔴 IF VIRAT BELIEVES, LET HIM BELIEVE – MOHD SHAMI 🤯
🎙️: Shami defended Virat Kohli’s spiritual journey, saying there’s nothing sudden about it.
He called Kohli a passionate and disciplined person who does everything with dedication and believes everyone has the right to… pic.twitter.com/hgbsStSxqr
— Sam (@cricsam02) August 4, 2026
The veteran pacer emphasized that sport has the power to unite people from different backgrounds and believes mutual respect is essential for a healthy society. “I always say one thing: everyone should support one another,” Mohammed Shami said. “Look, no particular place belongs exclusively to any one community. There is nothing in India that is meant only for one particular group. So I don’t think we should keep dragging these issues into every conversation.”
Speaking further, Shami said India’s cultural diversity is reflected in the way people celebrate festivals together, regardless of their religious backgrounds. According to him, such shared traditions demonstrate that harmony exists far more often than conflict.
“You tell me—who is actually harming whom? Which person is causing harm to another? I don’t think that’s the case. Holi, Eid, Diwali—we celebrate all of them. We visit each other during these festivals, and we’ve never had any problems. Here, the Kanwar Yatra passes through, and sometimes one side of the road is completely blocked. We don’t object to it. It’s your festival—celebrate it happily. We have no problem with that.”
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At the same time, Mohammed Shami acknowledged that disagreements can arise over any issue if people intentionally seek conflict. “If someone is determined to create conflict, they’ll always find a reason. An argument can be started over anything. If you want to debate, you can debate about anything. If you want to start a fight, you can do it over any issue. Some people simply have too much time.”
While awaiting another opportunity to represent India, Shami continues to focus on cricket, but his latest remarks underline his belief that wearing the national jersey transcends all other identities. For the experienced fast bowler, representing the country remains the highest honour, and unity within the team has always taken precedence over differences of any kind.
