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Mohammed Shami could be featured in the remaining matches of the England series after not playing the opener in Kolkata.
Mohammed Shami bowling at Eden Gardens (PTI)
Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh dismissed injury speculations around Mohammed Shami after their series opener against England. The 34-year-old pacer was absent from India’s line-up for the first T20I in Kolkata on January 22. With Shami failing to make the highly-anticipated return to international cricket, there were speculations that he wasn’t completely fit. Arshdeep, however, dismissed those fitness concerns during a post-match interview with JioCinema. He added that Shami could be featured in the remaining matches of the England series. “Just wait for a few more days, and you’ll get to see that bowling, and you’ll enjoy it a lot,” he said, as per India Today.
Arshdeep Singh recently shared how impressed he was with Mohammad Shami’s bowling during their practice sessions. “Just yesterday, I was talking to Shami Bhai about it. When he was bowling, the way the ball came out of his hand was simply incredible. With every delivery, I couldn’t help but think, ‘Wow, how can a ball be bowled like that?'” Arshdeep said. “It feels like the 22-year-old version of Shami Bhai is bowling again, the way the ball is coming out of his hand,” he added.
Earlier this week, India’s T20I skipper, Suryakumar Yadav, expressed his joy at having a seasoned pacer like Mohammad Shami in the squad for the five-match series. “It’s always good to have an experienced bowler in your side, and he is making a comeback after over a year. I am excited to see him,” he said. Suryakumar also confirmed his fitness in the pre-match conference and added, “I have witnessed his journey—what he did at the NCA, how he focused on his bowling and recovery. It’s great to see him fit and back in the side.”
Mohammad Shami was last seen in an India shirt during the 2023 ODI World Cup. Following a heartbreaking loss in the final, Shami had to undergo ankle surgery keeping him out of action for the 2024 T20I World Cup and the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. After a hiatus of well over a year, BCCI named Shami in their 15-member squad for the ongoing T20I series against England. The bowler is now seemingly fit and ready to produce numbers for the Men in Blue again.
Despite Mohammad Shami’s absence, India produced a dominant show against England during their series opener in Kolkata. A combined effort from the Indian bowlers, including Arshdeep Singh, Hardik Pandya, Varun Chakaravarthy and Axar Patel, curbed the Englishmen to 132 runs. Abhishek Sharma stole the show with his 34-ball 79 during the chase as India won by seven wickets.
