Team Gujarat Titans faced a huge blow on Thursday, when unconfirmed reports suggested that their pace spearhead Mohammed Shami was ruled out of the IPL 2024, due to an ankle injury, that he sustained during the ICC World Cup 2023. But even before this is news has been made official, the debate, as to who could replace Shami, has started.
While the names of Josh Hazlewood, Jason Holder, Basil Thampi, and Varun Aaron are being thrown in, the Gujarat Titans management could be tempted to rope in Shami’s brother Mohammed Kaif, who is a swing bowler just like the former, perhaps with better batting qualities.
Mohammed Kaif, Why Not?
It’s not like Kaif’s name has come up for nothing. He is currently playing for Team Bengal at the Ranji Trophy 2024, where he has picked up 17 wickets in six matches, at an average of 22. He boasts of a bowling strike-rate of 46, and had impressed in the match against UP, where he bagged seven wickets, and scored 45 runs as well.
Meanwhile, he went unsold at the IPL Auction 2024, where his base-price was set at INR 20 lakh.
While Gujarat would not be really looking at the foreign bowling options, with the presence of Spencer Johnson and Josh Little in the ranks already, Kaif could just fit the bill. But for all that to happen, the team, or the BCCI will have to first announce Shami’s unavailability.
