Tags: England Tour of India, 2025,,
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Mohammed Shami Ahmed
Posted on: January 17, 2025
After a prolonged absence due to an injury, the fast launcher Mohammed Shami is expected to join the Indian team for the T20I series of five games against England, from January 22 in Kolkata. Shami, who played for the last time for India in the ODI World Cup final in November 2023, underwent an ankle surgery and fought against knee -related problems during his recovery period.
Shami road to recovery
Since his return to competitive cricket in November 2024, Shami has presented his resilience and form. He appeared in the nine Bengal games in the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy, claiming 11 counters with an economic rate of 7.85. While playing fewer games in the Vijay Hazare trophy, his performances were commendable, with five counters at an average of 25.80. Despite speculation about his return to the Test team from India during the Australian tour, swelling of the recurring knee delayed his return. Now entirely in shape, the inclusion of Shami adds depth and experience with the attack on rhythm.
Team pilars
Suryakumar Yadav will run the T20i team, with Axar Patel named Vice-captain—A designation absent in the announcements of the previous squad. Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill were rested after their participation in the recent series of tests in Australia. Sanju Samson and Dhruv Jurel will take care of the Guichet Guardian tasks, with Jurel making a notable entrance to the team.
The selectors also brought new faces, replacing several players from the team who triumphed in South Africa. New inclusions like Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana and Washington Sundar come back after their commitments to the series of tests in Australia.
Key omissions
Notable absents include Jasprit Bumrah, whose injury status remains uncertain following his inability to play the fifth test against Australia. Riyan Parag is not available due to a shoulder injury, while Ramandeep Singh, Jiteh Sharma, Avesh Khan, Yash Dayal and Vijaykumar Vyshak were left out after their previous T20i appearances in South Africa.
Upcoming planning and challenges
India will face England through five T20iS in Kolkata, Chennai, Rajkot, Pune and Mumbai between January 22 and February 2. The series serves as a crucial preparation for the Champions Trophy, from February 19.
After the T20is, India will host three ODIs in Nagpur (February 6), Cuttack (February 9) and Ahmedabad (February 12). These matches will be the only ODIs of India before the ICC event of Chapiteau.
India T20I team for the England series
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Captain: Suryakumar Yadav -
Vice-captain: AXAR PATEL -
Players: Sanju Samson (WK), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakravarthy, Washington Sundar
Conclusion
Shami’s return marks a significant boost for the Indian team, in particular with its richness of experience in high pressure matches. The next T20I series against England will be a decisive test for India’s preparations before the Champions Trophy, preparing the field for an exciting cricket in 2025.
