Fast bowler Mohammed Shami has made a long-awaited return to India’s T20I squad for the upcoming five-match series against England, starting January 22 in Kolkata. This marks Shami’s first appearance for India since the ODI World Cup final in November 2023, following ankle surgery and ongoing knee issues that sidelined him from international cricket.
The squad, led by Suryakumar Yadav, was finalized by the selectors on Saturday. Shami’s inclusion comes after a strong domestic performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he took 11 wickets across nine matches for Bengal at an economy rate of 7.85. Despite speculation about his potential return during India’s Test series in Australia, Shami remained unavailable due to recurring swelling in his knee.
The T20I squad also sees the return of Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Dhruv Jurel, and Washington Sundar, who missed the recent South Africa series due to their involvement in the Test tour of Australia. Jasprit Bumrah remains absent as uncertainty lingers over his fitness after being unable to bowl in Australia’s second innings during the Sydney Test.
Key players like Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shubman Gill have been rested after the Test series in Australia. The wicketkeeping duties will be shared by Sanju Samson and Dhruv Jurel. Meanwhile, batting allrounder Riyan Parag is unavailable as he recovers from a shoulder injury.
Vice-Captaincy for Axar Patel
Axar Patel has been named vice-captain for the T20I series, a decision revealed in the BCCI’s official release. This move follows a trend where recent squad announcements for series against Bangladesh and South Africa did not specify a deputy.
Series Details
India and England will face off in five T20Is across Kolkata, Chennai, Rajkot, Pune, and Mumbai, running from January 22 to February 2. This will be followed by three ODIs in Nagpur, Cuttack, and Ahmedabad from February 6 to February 12. These ODIs will serve as critical preparation for the Champions Trophy, beginning February 19.
India’s T20I Squad for England Series:
Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel (vice-captain), Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakravarthy, Washington Sundar.
The series will be a vital test for Shami and the revamped squad as India continues to fine-tune its combinations ahead of a busy cricket calendar.