Shami Returns After a Year: Bumrah-Siraj Rested, Axar Vice-Captain for England T20s
Fast bowler Mohammad Shami makes his comeback in the T20 series against England. He will play an international match after 14 months since the ODI World Cup final. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj have been rested. The BCCI announced the team list on Saturday night, with Axar Patel named vice-captain and Suryakumar Yadav leading the team as captain.
Rishabh Pant Excluded; Dhruv Jurel as Backup Wicketkeeper
Rishabh Pant has not been included in the squad, and Dhruv Jurel will serve as the backup wicketkeeper. Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy have also been given spots in the team. The first T20 match is scheduled for January 22, while the 3-match ODI series will begin on February 6. Teams for the ODI series and Champions Trophy are yet to be announced.
Key Highlights of Team Selection
Mohammad Shami is making his return after 14 months. He last played for India on November 19, 2023. If he proves his fitness during the series, his chances of making the Indian team for the Champions Trophy will increase.
Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma, Rishabh Pant, and Avesh Khan have not been included in the Indian team. Riyan Parag has also been left out, while Dhruv Jurel and Harshit Rana have been selected. This indicates that the selectors have focused on strengthening the batting lineup. The team also has options for both pace and spin bowling.
Players like Ramandeep Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Avesh Khan, Yash Dayal, and Vijay Kumar, who were part of the T20 series-winning squad against South Africa, have not been selected this time.
Shami’s Stellar Performance in Domestic Cricket
Shami has performed exceptionally well in domestic cricket. He returned from injury during Bengal’s Ranji Trophy Round-1 match against Madhya Pradesh. He also participated in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (T20) and Vijay Hazare Trophy (ODI), which boosted his chances of making a comeback to the Indian team.
Surgery and Rehabilitation in 2024
Shami underwent knee surgery in January 2024 in England. Over the past several months, he has been rehabilitating at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.
India’s T20 Team
Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Axar Patel (Vice-Captain), Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Nitish Reddy, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammad Shami, Dhruv Jurel (Wicketkeeper), Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakravarthy, and Washington Sundar.
