The Indian cricket fraternity is eagerly awaiting the return of Mohammed Shami to international cricket. The right-arm pacer has not donned the Indian jersey since November 19, 2023, when he represented the team in the ODI World Cup final against Australia.
Right after the World Cup, the fast bowler was ruled out due to an ankle injury. He also had to undergo surgery and was unable to play competitive cricket for a year. Mohammed Shami finally returned to competitive cricket last November when he turned out for Bengal in domestic cricket.
He is now gearing up for his long-awaited return to international cricket. The senior fast bowler has been named in India's squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against England. He has also been included in the squad for next month's ICC Champions Trophy.
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While only time will tell how things pan out in the coming days, Mohammed Shami's Bengal teammate Anustup Majumdar has issued a timely warning to those expecting the pacer to hit the ground running. In a recent interview, Majumdar said that while Shami has looked good in recent days, he is unlikely to be at his best anytime soon.
Majumdar, however, said Shami has enough time to regain his best form before the Champions Trophy. He stated that the upcoming series against England will be very crucial for Shami to reach the top tier.
“I think the way we're used to seeing Shami in full throttle, like in the 2019 and 2023 World Cups, it might take some time. He has time before the Champions Trophy to get into that zone and fitness and the England series will be crucial. You have to understand that he has always been a very different bowler with his line, length, swing and pace,” said Majumdar while speaking to SportsBoom.com.
Anustup Majumdar on Mohammed Shami's form:
After seeing Mohammed Shami's return to competitive cricket up close, Majumdar spoke about his state team-mate's form. He stated that Shami looked good when he played the Vijay Hazare Trophy game against Haryana earlier this month. Shami picked up 3 wickets in that game.
“The name, Shami, has an impact in itself. There was a big gap between his first Ranji Trophy match last year (in November) and the Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Haryana in the New Year.
“His bowling improved while playing these matches. I felt the pace pick up and he is bowling sharper lengths. Physically, he looks in good shape with a lean build. The delivery that cleaned up Rajat Patidar in the Ranji match in Indore had class written all over it,” said Majumdar.
India will hope that Shami regains his best form soon. With uncertainty surrounding Jasprit Bumrah's participation in the Champions Trophy due to injury, Shami is expected to lead India's pace attack in the marquee event.