Mohammed Shami Misses Out on First T20I Against England
Mohammed Shami’s return to international cricket has hit a snag as he was not included in India’s playing XI for the first T20I match against England on January 22. Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra shared his thoughts on Shami’s absence, raising alarms about the fast bowler’s fitness.
Chopra pointed out on social media that Shami isn’t fully fit, suggesting that this led to India’s decision to field only one specialist pacer, Arshdeep Singh. Meanwhile, England opted for four frontline fast bowlers. "Both captains are viewing the pitch differently," Chopra noted.
Shami, who has been recovering from an ankle injury since India’s ODI World Cup final defeat and subsequent surgery, had a setback with swelling in his left knee during his domestic matches. This injury ultimately kept him out of the five-match Test series against Australia as well.
In the first T20I, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and chose to field first. He confirmed that Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel, Harshit Rana, and Shami were left out of the squad, with Arshdeep Singh taking the lead as the sole specialist fast bowler.
"It’s a good headache to have with the playing XI selection, and we want to make the most of our strengths by bowling first," Suryakumar explained during the toss. He noted that the pitch looked sticky and hinted at potential dew later in the match, impacting conditions as the game progressed.
India’s Playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (w), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy.
England’s Playing XI: Ben Duckett, Philip Salt (w), Jos Buttler (c), Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.
This match opens a new chapter in the exciting rivalry between India and England, with fans eager to see how both teams perform in the series.
