Mohammad Shami is getting back to building a case for returning to the Indian team ahead of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, in a bid to break out of his second year in oblivion.
If Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness is still under a cloud, even after his back injury in the Sydney Test against Australia, this seasoned pacer, who had proved his fitness with some crucial performances in domestic cricket, would be the perfect partner or might even lead the pace attack.
Shami’s hope of making a comeback in the main event has been on the bowler-friendly fields of Dubai with his stellar show in the 2023 ICC World Cup where he took 24 wickets in seven games, besides appearing regularly for Bengal.
Shami had come back with a bang from cricket in the Ranji Trophy for Bengal and then knocked on the doors of the Indian team which had excluded him for the 2024–25 roster for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Post the Brisbane Test, R Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket, thus filling India’s much-needed vacancy in their ranks.
Because the two Indian captains for the series-Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah had said indirectly that Shami had made it to the squad, it was assumed that Shami would take up one of its seats.
However, before the Melbourne Test, in a statement issued by the BCCI, it was claimed that Shami can’t take up the slot again as an injury has happened in the knees once again and Tanush Kotian was being spotted in the open seat.
After all, quite some time has passed since the BCCI release, and Shami also batted on the same pitch when Bengal were still batting during Madhya Pradesh’s 8-over stint in their just concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy match.
The bowler could be included in the Indian team for white-ball series against England later this month if he was fit enough to bowl.
This would give Shami an opportunity to prove himself fit and also enhance his chances of winning the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. If he gets a chance to wear the Indian jersey once again for the Champions Trophy, it will also give him much-needed international cricket time.
Shami returned to cricket for Bengal against Madhya Pradesh in November 2024 after 359 days of break. He bowled 43.2 overs and took 7 wickets when he returned. He was then included in the Bengal team for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 and played all nine matches that Bengal played before Baroda knocked them out in the quarterfinals.
In eight of those matches, Shami bowled all the four overs. In one, he bowled 3.3 overs, and it added up to 35.3 overs throughout the tournament. He also took 11 wickets in the process. He is playing with the Bengal side in the Vijay Hazare Trophy after being absent from the first.
Though he was included in the 15-member team to represent India in the ICC 2023 Cricket World Cup, Shami did not get an immediate berth in the playing eleven.
Yet, he eventually got a spot in the playing XI of the match when Hardik Pandya went injured as India was taking on Bangladesh.
He totally milked out the situation as well, winning 24 wickets in mere 7 games. Post this, however, he sustained a rupture to the Achilles tendon, keeping him from playing any matches.
Still if BCCI agrees with the situation and decides it, then possibly he might very well prove himself as an impeccable bowling mate what Bumrah is actually crying for.
If Bumrah fails to make it into the squad, Shami could spearhead the Indian pacers at the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy on a seamers’ delight, sort of a bowling-friendly wicket.
