 "It has taken Mohammed Shami 14 months to make a return to Team India camp. Image: BCCI")
Mohammed Shami is finally back in the Indian cricket camp as the 34-year-old pacer fired in some deadly deliveries at full throttle and also made the fans happy by giving away photographs at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday (19 January). This is the first time after the 20023 ODI World Cup in November 2023 that Shami has linked up with Team India after suffering an ankle injury and subsequently undergoing surgery that kept him away from competitive cricket for a year .
After slowly increasing his workload by bowing at nets in his farmhouse in Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, Shami returned to domestic cricket in November 2024 with a Ranji Trophy match between Bengal and Madhya Pradesh in which he also took a four-wicket haul .
He later played in Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 and Vijay Hazare Trophy before being named in India’s T20 squad for the series against England that starts in Kolkata on 22 January. This marked Shami’s return to the Indian team after 14 months and he has also been picked in the Champions Trophy 2025 squad .
Shami bowls full throttle in Team India camp
On Sunday, at his home ground, Shamil bowled with half run-ups for 20 minutes before going full throttle against openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma in the nets. He also bowled on practice pitches and had fielding sessions with coach T Dilip and head coach Gautam Gambhir.
In a video shared by BCCI, Shami could be seen signing t-shirts and caps for fans present at the stadium.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsTeam India management will have their eyes on Shami’s fitness who was expected to join the squad in Australia for the later part of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but missed the opportunity due to swelling in knee .
‘Shami needs to time to go full throttle’
Meanwhile, Shami’s former Bengal teammate Anustup Majumdar has said in an interview that the fast bowler is close to finding his rhythm and his bowling has consistently improved since his comeback last year.
“The name, Shami, has an impact in itself. There was a long gap between his first match in the Ranji Trophy last year [in November], and the Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Haryana in the New Year. His bowling improved while playing these matches. I sensed an increase in pace, 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,” Majumdar told SportsBoom.com.
“I think the way we are used to seeing Shami in full throttle, like in the 2019 and 2023 World Cups, may need 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 from the rest with his line, length, swing, and pace.”
Shami’s role will be crucial for India in the Champions Trophy 2025. Uncertainty surrounds Jasprit Bumrah’s back spasms, and in such a case, the Shami is Men in Blue’s best bet.