Mohammed Shami returns to India T20I squad with an eye on Champions Trophy

A couple of years after Mohammed Shami was discarded from India’s T20 International squad following the 10-wicket loss to England as the team looked forward and moved on, the right-arm pace bowler has been drafted back into the squad for the shortest format as the selection committee seeks options for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy, a 50-over competition.

Shami had last played a T20 International in November, 2022 in the T20 World Cup 10-wicket semi-final loss to England but he played Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 for his domestic team Bengal. 

His selection in the T20I team that will be led by Suryakumar Yadav comes as a surprise but the decision by the selection committee may have been taken with an eye on the Champions Trophy. The selectors probably want to check his fitness and line and length.

India are in need of an experienced pace bowler for the eight-team 50-over tournament set to be hosted in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj had helped take India to the final of the 2023 World Cup. India haven’t played many ODIs since the 2023 World Cup. The Champions Trophy will India’s first major assignment since the loss in the final in Ahmedabad on November 19.

With uncertainty surrounding Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness, a lot of interest has developed over Shami’s fitness.

The right-arm pace bowler played nine matches for Bengal in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, picking 11 wickets and taking the team to quarterfinals. He also picked five wickets in three matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy at 25.8. 

Shami also played one Ranji Trophy match, picking seven wickets for 156 runs.

The Indian team’s selection committee also seems to have moved on from Rishabh Pant as they decided to bring in Dhruv Jurel as the second wicketkeeper behind Sanju Samson. Pant was part of the India’s T20 World Cup-winning squad in the West Indies last year.

India’s squad for T20I series against England: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel (vc), Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammad Shami, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel (wk)

Schedule of India vs England T20Is:

First T20I on January 22 in Kolkata

Second T20I on January 25 in Chennai

Third T20I on January 28 in Rajkot

Fourth T20I on January 31 in Pune

Fifth T20I on February 2 in Mumbai

Tags : Mohammed Shami, India cricket team, England cricket, T20I, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant