Mohammed Shami Makes Comeback For India vs England T20Is, But BCCI Ignore Superstar

Mohammed Shami has made a comeback into the Indian cricket team for the five-T20I series against England starting January 22. The star pacer has been out of the national side since the ODI World Cup 2023 final against Australia on November 19. Since then, he had been nursing injuries and even underwent an ankle surgery. Recently, he was ruled out of the India vs Australia Test series after the BCCI concluded that a swelling in his knee required some more inspection.

Shami had been playing for Bengal in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy for the last couple of months.

However, there were a few surprises too in BCCI’s squad selection. Rishabh Pant has not been picked for the T20I series, where India will be led by Suryakumar Yadav. Dhruv Jurel and Sanju Samson are the two wicketkeepers. The BCCI did not provide a reason on why Pant was ignored.

All-rounder Shivam Dube was also not picked but India’s new hero Nitish Kumar Reddy was selected.

Along with Shami, Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh are the other pacers in the squad. The spin department consists of Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi and Washington Sundar. Apart from Suryakumar Yadav, the other star batsmen in the squad are Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya and Rinku Singh.

Mohammed Shami’s inclusion for the T20I series against England is a clear indication that the fast bowler is very much in the reckoning for a spot in the Champions Trophy. After the Border Gavaskar Trophy debacle, the Indian cricket team will be desperate to win the ICC Champions Trophy. Having Mohammed Shami in the line-up will bolster the Indian attack.

The BCCI, reportedly, has sought an extension from ICC over the announcement of the India squad for the Champions Trophy. However, the team for India’s T20I side for the England series is likely to be out soon.

Although ICC allows teams to make changes one month after the provisional squad is announced, it seems like the BCCI requires more time to finalize the roster for the tournament in Pakistan and UAE.

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 Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel (wk).