Mohammed Shami announced his retirement from Test cricket after a successful career. In a reel from Sony Sports Network promoting the series “Bharat Tum Chale Chalo, Kahani 2021-22 Ki”, former India head
coach Ravi Shastri and bowling coach Bharat Arun shared a memorable behind-the-scenes story about Mohammed Shami. The clip captures one of those raw, human moments that often decide big matches more than pure skill. It was the final day of the Johannesburg Test against South Africa in 2018.
India were 0-2 down in the series and fighting to avoid a whitewash. They had set the hosts a target of around 241. South Africa were well placed, needing roughly 100 more runs with eight wickets in hand when lunch was taken.
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As Shastri walked past in the dressing room, he noticed Shami with a large plate of biryani. Shastri asked something along the lines of whether the biryani had already satisfied his hunger, questioning the intensity at a crucial stage. Shami’s reaction was instant and fiery. He pushed the plate away and said “take the plate, I don’t want the biryani, it can go to hell. “He was properly angry.
Shastri immediately turned to Bharat Arun and said to leave Shami alone. “Woh gussa hai, usko aise he chod do.” If anyone needed to talk to him, the message should simply be take wickets and then come speak. The coaches stepped back and let the emotion work on the pacer.
‘Humko Hamesha Gussa Karao’: Mohammed Shami’s hilarious reply after biryani incident goes viral
After the break, Shami produced a devastating spell. He finished with figures of 5 for 28 in a little over 12 overs. South Africa collapsed from a strong position to 177 all out. India won by 63 runs and salvaged pride from the series. The anger that over a plate of food had been converted into pace, movement, and wickets.
When the match ended and the team returned to the dressing room, Arun playfully offered Shami the biryani again, telling him to eat as much as he wanted. The pacer replied with a smile saying “Humko hamesha gussa karao. phir theek ho jaata hai.”
This reel has gone viral on social media and Shami’s response on the field that afternoon remains one of the more memorable fast-bowling performances of the series, and the biryani story has now become part of the folklore surrounding the series.
