India eyes Shami’s return as fitness clears path for england series and champions trophy

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): As the deadline for selecting the Champions Trophy squad approaches veteran pacer Mohammed Shami has emerged as a significant boost for the Indian team. Shami who struggled to prove his fitness for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is now expected to be included in India’s ODI squad for the upcoming series against England and the Champions Trophy provided his recovery progresses as planned. However, his return to the T20 side for the England series appears uncertain.

Reports suggest that Shami has either already received or is soon expected to receive full clearance from the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. This clearance would mark a major step in his return to the national team. Although his last appearance for India was during the 2023 ODI World Cup, Shami has been playing in domestic white-ball cricket including the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Bengal. The pacer has been battling ankle injuries since then and despite coming close to being included in the Australian tour slight setbacks prevented him from being fully fit.

Meanwhile the BCCI has requested additional time from the ICC to finalize the squad for the Champions Trophy with the official announcement of India’s T20 squad for the England series expected soon. The ICC rules allow teams to make adjustments to their provisional squads up to a month before the tournament but the BCCI appears to need more time to finalize their roster for the event which will take place in Pakistan and the UAE. India and England are set to face off in five T20Is and three ODIs beginning on January 22. The three ODIs will take place on February 6, 9, and 12.