Mohammed Shami admits he has no clue why teammates call him Lala, but he strongly suspects that Virat Kohli is the mastermind behind it. The pacer, who shares a close bond with Kohli, said even newcomers in the dressing room now call him by that name.
Shami joked that the nickname, once associated with Shahid Afridi or even jewellers in parts of India, somehow stuck with him permanently.
“I don’t even know when it became permanent. It’s Virat’s doing, he only does such things. I once thought—what kind of name is this? Am I fat? Jewellers are called Lala, but I don’t do that either. In the team, if you argue, they tease you more. So I let it be,” Shami said in an interview with News24.
Nicknames in Indian Cricket
Indian cricket has always had a fun nickname culture. Virat Kohli was famously called Cheeku, Sourav Ganguly became Dada, and now Shami carries the tag Lala.
Shami’s Injury Comeback Update
Apart from the nickname story, Shami also shared an encouraging update on his fitness. Having been out of action due to multiple injuries, he returned for the T20I series against England but wasn’t at his best and missed the Test series.
Now, the pacer feels much stronger after months of intense training.
“Touchwood, I feel better now. In the last two months, I’ve trained hard, shed weight, worked on bowling long spells, and improved batting and fielding. Everything feels comfortable again,” he added.
Stay updated with the latest Cricket News, Match Predictions, Fantasy Tips, and Live Cricket Action—only on Today Cricket Matches!
