 "IND vs ENG: Chawla backs Indian team management's decision to not play Shami in first T20, says Champions Trophy should be 'main target'")
India pacer Mohammed Shami was excluded from the Men in Blue's playing XI for the first T20 against England on Wednesday as his international cricket comeback extended for another match. Ahead of the series opener in Kolkata on Wednesday, Shami, who seemed fit, was seen bowling for almost half an hour at the side nets.
Shami, who had sustained an ankle injury during the 2023 ODI World Cup final against Australia, has not played for India ever since.
‘Shami is still limping a bit:’ Chawla
According to veteran India spinner Piyush Chawla, however, the Indian team management did the right thing by not risking Shami and said that the Bengal speedster was still “limping a bit”. Chawla said that he wanted Shami to be fully fit for the 2025 Champions Trophy, which begins on 19 February . “If you see the run-up, he is still limping a bit. The main target should be Champions Trophy, and getting fit for that. Lots of matches in this series, even if he misses a few games, that is okay," Chawla told Star Sports.
Shami, who underwent surgery in February 2024, returned to competitive cricket in November last year during Bengal’s Ranji Trophy match against Madhya Pradesh, when he took seven wickets. He also played in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy, picking 11 and five wickets in the two tournaments respectively. He recovered from the injury in December but sustained swelling on his left knee during his domestic cricket stint with Bengal.
After the first T20 against England that India won by seven wickets, all-rounder Abhishek Sharma said that the team management felt that it was better to exclude Shami keeping the conditions of the Eden Gardens track in mind. “I feel it’s the decision of the team management and they thought it’s a better option keeping in mind of these conditions," he said at the post-match press conference. India lead the five-match T20 series against England 1-0. The second T20 will take place in Chennai on Saturday (25 January).
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