Mohit Sharma showing tremendous skill in ICC Cricket World Cup 2015

Mohit Sharma would not have been the first choice for too many people ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, especially not ahead of Bhuvneshwar Kumar. And yet, the pacer has punched above his weight repeatedly, and has proven to be a perfect foil for the faster men. Shiamak Unwalla acknowledges that Mohit has shown tremendous skill in the World Cup. Live Blog: India vs Zimbabwe

Mohit Sharma had taken 11 wickets in 12 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) before the start of ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. He went wicket-less in seven of those matches. He had not played an ODI since October 2014 before the tri-series against Australia and England.  Live Scorecard: India vs Zimbabwe

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So when Ishant Sharma got injured and India had to pick a replacement, Mohit Sharma’s name might not have been the first to come to mind. And yet, six matches into the World Cup, Mohit has proven to be an invaluable asset for Team India. READ: India create bowling record in ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 match against Zimbabwe at Auckland

With Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav firing as well, it was crucial that India’s third seamer would not let up the intensity, and Mohit has done just that. He has gone at under five runs an over in every match but one, and has not gone wicketless yet. READ: Brendan Taylor, thank you for the memories!

He has taken 10 wickets in six matches so far at an average of just 20.30 and a strike rate of 27.6 — outstanding numbers by any stretch. Against Zimbabwe, his spell proved to be a game-changing one, as he removed both Brendan Taylor and Craig Ervine in quick succession as Zimbabwe crashed from 235 for four to 287 all out. His slower deliveries have proven to be almost unreadable, and whether in the middle overs or at the death, he has been difficult to get away. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: SCHEDULE & MATCH DETAILS

Mohit’s strength lies in keeping things simple. He is nowhere near as quick as Umesh, does not extract the bounce that Shami does, and doesn’t swing it like Bhuvneshwar Kumar. What he manages to do though, is bowl at a nagging line and length, mix in the occasional slower ball, and execute the captain’s plans with precision. READ: Brendan Taylor bids goodbye with a century against India: Twitter Reactions

If India go through to the final, Mohit  undoubtedly would have played his part. Though he has been overshadowed by his more illustrious pace-bowling comrades, Mohit has been invaluable to India’s success so far. READ: Sikandar Raza wants to end ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 with good performance against India

(Shiamak Unwalla, a reporter with CricketCountry, is a self-confessed Sci-Fi geek and Cricket fanatic. His Twitter handle is @ShiamakUnwalla)