NEW DELHI — After a considerable absence from international cricket, fast bowler Mohammed Shami is making a comeback as he has been selected for India’s Twenty20 squad to compete against England in a series consisting of five matches.
The series is set to commence on January 22 in Kolkata, with the remaining matches scheduled to take place in Chennai, Rajkot, Pune, and Mumbai.
Following this T20 series, India will participate in three one-day internationals to prepare for the Champions Trophy, which will be held next month in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.
Shami’s last appearance for the national team was during the 2023 Cricket World Cup, where he took 24 wickets, helping India secure a place in the finals, ultimately finishing as runners-up to Australia.
At 34 years old, Shami faced a setback with an ankle injury incurred during the tournament, necessitating a prolonged recovery period that ultimately caused him to miss all international matches in 2024.
He returned to domestic cricket in October of last year, where he was under the close observation of the medical team associated with the national squad.
India notably felt Shami’s absence during the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy; pacer Jasprit Bumrah did not receive adequate support, leading to Australia winning the home test series 3-1.
Bumrah has been dealing with a suspected back injury reported after the concluding test in Sydney last week, yet the Board of Control for Cricket in India has not disclosed specifics about his condition or anticipated return.
In addition to Shami’s inclusion, spin allrounder Axar Patel has been appointed as India’s vice-captain for the first time, with Suryakumar Yadav leading the team.
Allrounders Nitish Reddy and Washington Sundar, along with pacer Harshit Rana, are making their way back into the T20 squad after being sidelined during the 3-1 series win in South Africa in November due to their test duties in Australia.
Meanwhile, star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant continues to be absent from India’s T20 plans, having last played during the 2024 T20 World Cup victory in the West Indies.
In Pant’s absence, Sanju Samson has emerged as the starting batter and primary keeper, managing to score three centuries in seven matches against Bangladesh and South Africa last year.
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India’s T20 squad consists of: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, and Dhruv Jurel.
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