After all the hype surrounding Mohammed Shami for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT), we didn’t get to have him Down Under. But what’s next for the pacer who wreaked havoc at the ODI World Cup 2023? Well, it looks like the management is likely to keep a spot vacant for him, considering how he performs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT). If Shami does well in the 50-over domestic tournament, we might see him make a much-awaited return in the upcoming India vs England ODI series. The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 selection isn’t far away either.
Mohammed Shami needs to fire to get selected for Champions Trophy
According to Telegraph India, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is looking at Shami’s fitness. Incredibly, Shami missed the entire international action in 2024 courtesy of surgery and recurring injuries. He made a much-awaited return to competitive cricket in the Ranji Trophy before playing the entire Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT). On Friday (Jan 3), Shami even featured in a Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) game for Bengal, who hammered Bihar by six wickets in Hyderabad.
Shami, meanwhile, bowled eight overs, taking the wicket of young sensation and new Rajasthan Royals (RR) signee Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Shami got him for 26 runs in 16 balls. His great showing in the tournament is ever-so crucial now, given BCCI looking at his progress gaem by game.
“Shami bowled last on Saturday before leaving for Hyderabad. If he does well in these Vijay Hazare games, he surely has a good chance of being considered for the England ODIs at least, if not for the T20I series,” a BCCI official told The Telegraph.
Mohammed Shami surely deserves his comeback now
Despite being named in Bengal’s squad for the premier 50-over domestic competition, Shami missed the initial four games. He now made his return and has played all three formats since making his comeback. You already know, Shami last played a competitive game during the ODI World Cup 2023 Final in Ahmedabad before returning on the field after 360 days. Shami played a single Ranji Trophy game before having a decent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) recently, taking 11 wickets at an economy rate of 7.86 across nine innings in the tournament.
In that tournament, he played 9 T20 matches within a span of 18 days. The home matches for Team India begin with the first T20I at Eden Gardens on January 22. The ODIs begin on February 6. Meanwhile, the last date to submit squads for the ICC Champions Trophy is February 12.
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