Hyderabad: India pacer Mohammed Shami is likely to return to international cricket with the whit-ball series against England. The veteran fast bowler is likely to earn an entry into the Indian nation team for the series against England starting on January 22 according to a report by Cricbuzz.
Shami has been on the sidelines since the World Cup final in November 2023. He started playing white-ball cricket but another injury delayed his return to the international fold. According to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the NCA medical team has been closely monitoring Shami. The right-arm pace underwent heel surgery but sustained a knee swelling which ruled him out of the Border Gavaskar Trophy.
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— Cricket Tufani (@mohitso39392499) January 9, 2025
- Mohammed Shami is all likely to get selected for ODIs against England & CT.
- Akash Deep is ruled out of all cricket for a month.
- Jasprit Bumrah to miss England series, still doubtful for CT.#ChampionsTrophy2025 pic.twitter.com/dB78k88JGf
He recently took part in a couple of Vijay Hazare Trophy fixtures for Bengal and is also playing in the pre-quarterfinal against Haryana on Thursday.
The report further adds that the selection committee members are likely to attend the Vijay Hazare Trophy matches and asses Shami’s performance. While the NCA go-ahead is yet to come, there is optimism around Shami’s fitness.
Akash Deep is unlikely to be available for the England series as he is yet to recover from the back pain he sustained in the Australia series. The 28-year-old is expected to be out of the side for at least one month. The pace duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj is likely to be rested for the T20Is against England considering the workload they had during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Both of them sent down more than 150 overs each in the Test series.
The selection committee is likely to pick the teams for white-ball series against England and a provisional squad for the Champions Trophy around the BCCI Annual General Meeting (AGM) which is to be held on January 12. England will tour India for five T20Is and three ODIs between January 22 and February 12
