Mohammed Shami's much-awaited return to top-flight cricket did not receive too many supporting signals during the seasoned pacer's nearly hour-long stint of varying intensity at the India nets here on Friday. Despite working hard on finding his bowling rhythm, Shami never really hit his flowing peak. While he was expected to feature in the playing 11 during India's first T20I against England at Kolkata on Wednesday, the management decided to delay his comeback. Shami's rhythm and sharpness gradually hit a higher gear but the whole picture was one of rustiness, raising questions about his current form and the decision to select him for the series against England and the Champions Trophy.
Neither Mohammed Shami nor Mohammed Kaif traveled to the Maha Kumbh Mela.
Bengal pacer Mohammed Shami, playing his first competitive match after a long injury lay-off of nearly a year, took 4/54 in 19 overs.
The 34-year-old Shami, who last played for India in the ODI World Cup final in November 2023, was forced into the long layoff due to an ankle injury that needed surgery.
Morne Morkel, India's bowling coach, is delighted to have Mohammed Shami back in the squad and hinted at a possible return for the veteran pacer in the fifth T20 International against England in Mumbai on Sunday.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will be assessed but it would be "silly" to put them on trial in each and every ODI that they play from hereon, chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar said.
The pacer, who was on the road to recovery from an ankle injury, has suffered a flare-up in his right knee, potentially delaying his return to competitive cricket.
Shami last played for India in the 2023 World Cup final in Ahmedabad after which he was sidelined because of an ankle injury which needed surgery.
Abhishek Sharma smashed the joint third-fastest half-century and broke his own record for most sixes by an Indian in a T20 innings while scoring an unbeaten 148 in Punjab's Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Bengal, in Hyderabad, on Sunday.
Skipper Shubman Gill acknowledged that the choice between a spinner and an extra seamer for the first Test against South Africa is nothing short of a "conflict".
Pace bowling all-rounders always come at a premium and therefore, the troika of Green, Venkatesh Iyer and West Indies' Jason Holder, all coming at the highest base price of Rs 2 crore (US$220,000), are set to headline the bidding war.
Bihar's teen sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi, aged just 14, blasted an 84-ball 190 to become the youngest List-A centurion ever. His captain Sakibul Gani, then upstaged him with a 40-ball 128 not out -- the fastest List-A century by an Indian.
Mohammed Shami is set to compete in the last two Tests of the ongoing series against Australia with his playing kit already headed Down Under
Karnataka, Maharashtra register innings wins to go 1-2 in Group B of Ranji Tropphy.
Shami's playing kit and Australian visa are believed to be ready and he was supposed to fly at the earliest but after Rohit's post-match comments, fresh doubts have been cast whether he will go to Australia.
Saurashtra registered their narrowest T20 victory in terms of runs, edging Karnataka by one run in the Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 Elite Group D match.
Mohammed Shami carried Bengal to the quarterfinals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy by smashing a game-changing 17-ball-32 and bowling 13 dot balls
India pacer Mohammed Shami has been ruled out of the last two Tests against Australia as he is yet to regain full fitness, the BCCI said on Monday.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing for the third T20I against England on Tuesday?
A round-up of Sunday's action in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy group stage matches.
Mohammed Shami went through the toughest phase of his career in 2018 when he had to battle his way against allegations of match-fixing levied by ex-wife Hasin Jahan.
The spotlight will be firmly on Mohammed Shami as the Indian team contemplates his inclusion in the playing XI.
Yashasvi Jaiswal was on Saturday expectedly picked in the India squad for the Champions Trophy and pacer Mohammed Shami returned to national fold
The pitch, left unwatered for nearly a week, appeared dry and brown with faint traces of grass, conditions that could bring reverse swing and variable bounce into play later in the match.
The Proteas arrive high on confidence, having fought out a hard-earned 1-1 draw in Pakistan last month under challenging conditions.
Dravid fully understood what the younger crop of players were going through after the loss in the final, following a dominant 10-match win streak, saying that he went through such emotions when India lost to Australia in the 2003 World Cup finals, and it hurts a lot when something comes really close and players miss out on it.
Former captain Sourav Ganguly wants the BCCI to immediately send Mohammed Shami to join the Indian team in Australia, even if he is unable to play in the Perth Test.
Former India opener WV Raman, one of the most respected coaches in the country, feels experience will be a key factor which should go in favour of the Punjab pacer.
KKR, CSK to engage in bidding war in IPL mini-auction with big purse in hand
Shami last played for India in the ODI World Cup final in November 2023. He had sustained an ankle injury on his left leg that required surgery.
Ahead of the mini-auction, scheduled to be held in Doha on December 26, the 10 franchises have released their list of retained and released players.
Speaking on The Great Indian Cricket Show on Doordarshan, Mukund, who represented India in seven Tests from 2011-17, said: "I think Shubman has it in him to become an all-format captain, but I do not think India should have an all-format captain anymore."
Continuing his fine run in his comeback from ankle surgery, India pacer Mohammed Shami will be in the spotlight as Bengal face strong challenge from a rampaging Baroda in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 quarterfinal in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
The former CSK stalwart also noted that Axar Patel's consistency over recent years positions him as a natural leader within the DC core. But the trickier decision, according to Raina, concerns veteran opener Faf du Plessis, who endured a lean run with just 202 runs from nine games.
Mohammed Shami has made a stunning return to competitive cricket after a year-long injury layoff, excelling for Bengal in their Ranji Trophy victory against Madhya Pradesh. Shami's impressive performance included seven wickets across two innings and a quickfire 37 with the bat, helping Bengal secure a narrow 11-run win.
A record-extending 52nd ODI century by Virat Kohli and a rapid 57 from Rohit Sharma paved the way for India's victory in the series-opener in Ranchi.
Shami has been steadily rebuilding his form through domestic cricket. Making his Ranji Trophy return last November, he guided Bengal to a season-opening victory with a match haul of seven wickets.
Rohit hinted that the 64-Test veteran could still play a part in the remainder of the five-Test series in Australia.
India pacer Mohammed Shami has apologised to the fans and the BCCI after the board decided against rushing his return to the team for the high-profile tour of Australia as he is yet to attain match fitness.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction saw some foreign names earning big bucks, headlined by Aussie all-rounder Cameron Green
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