‘Still limping…target Champions Trophy’ - Former India star supports Shami’s exclusion from England T20I

Mohammed Shami returned to the Indian side in the ongoing T20I series against England after more than 430 days. The last time he played an international game for India was in the 2023 ODI World Cup final on November 19 of that year. 

Since then, he has been out of the side due to his knee-related issues, for which he also received treatment and was in rehabilitation for an extended period. He finally made his return this domestic season for Bengal and played a handful of games across formats.

However, he still wasn’t fit enough to make the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) squad, as he was suffering from knee swelling while bowling in domestic cricket. 

While he was bowling in rhythm in domestic cricket, the intensity and zip on the ball one is accustomed to seeing from Shami was missing. Even after being selected for the ongoing England T20Is, Shami missed the first game. India selected three spinners and went with a single specialist pacer in Arshdeep Singh, two pace bowling all-rounders and three spinning options. 

However, he was seen practising on the sidelines with both his knees strapped, gingerly completing his bowling action. 

Speaking on Star Sports, former Indian leg spinner Piyush Chawla noted that and remarked that it was a good call from the team management as Shami didn’t look fully fit to him. 

“If you see the run-up, he is still limping a bit,” Chawla said. 

“The main target should be Champions Trophy and getting fit for that. Lots of matches in this series, even if he misses a few games, that is okay.”

However, Abhishek Sharma, who scored a blistering 79 off just 23 in the first T20I, clarified that the veteran pacer was not picked on the basis of conditions and the team combination.

“I feel it’s the decision of the team management, and they thought it’s a better option keeping in mind these conditions,” Abhishek said in the post-match press conference.