Veteran India cricketer Mohammed Shami has addressed the swirling rumours about his alleged marriage to Indian tennis star Sania Mirza, which began circulating after Mirza's divorce from former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik. In a candid conversation with Shubhankar Mishra on his YouTube show *Unplugged* Shami dismissed the rumours and expressed his frustration with those spreading false information.
Shami acknowledged the role of memes in humour and entertainment but emphasised that such content should be shared responsibly, especially when it concerns someone’s personal life. He criticised the spread of unverified information and urged that memes should not be made at the expense of others’ privacy.
"It's weird and done purposely for some lame fun," Shami said. "But what can be done? If I open my phone, I see those memes. I would like to say that while memes are made for fun, if they relate to someone’s life, you must think before sharing them. These people hide behind unverified pages and say anything they want."
Shami challenged those spreading rumours to come forward with verified accounts if they truly believed in what they were saying, asserting that achieving personal success and contributing positively is a more meaningful pursuit than engaging in such behaviour.
"One thing I would say - if you have the guts to say all these things from a verified page, then I will respond. Try achieving success, help people, and improve yourself. Then I will believe that you are a good person," Shami added.
In addition to addressing the rumours, Shami also shared his thoughts on the recent retirements from T20I cricket by Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. He described their simultaneous departure as a shock, acknowledging their significant contributions to Indian cricket. Shami noted that replacing such stalwarts would be a major challenge but is part of the natural progression of the sport.
The discussion highlights the ongoing challenges faced by cricketers in managing their public image and responding to the rapid spread of misinformation in the digital age.