Mohammad Shami will return to international cricket after a year as India take on England in a five-match T20I series later this month.
While an official announcement is awaited, Sportstar understands that the five members of the selection committee met here on Saturday and decided to include Shami.
He has been sidelined from international cricket since November 2023 due to an ankle injury.
After returning from injury, Shami bowled 43 balls for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy against Madhya Pradesh in November last year.
Shami also played 9 T20 matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT). In the quarter-finals, he took two wickets against Baroda as Bengal were eliminated. He has played three games and picked up five wickets in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy.
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Although he has been playing domestic cricket for a few months, he was not considered for selection in the just-concluded Test series against Australia.
However, the selectors held discussions with the medical team who expressed satisfaction with the pacer’s fitness, paving the way for his return to the white-ball lineup.
During his comeback, Shami has been following a strict diet and lost a few kilos under the supervision of experts at the National Cricket Academy.
During the Australia series, when Harshit Rana and Mohammad Siraj struggled against the Australian batsmen in Adelaide, former India head coach Ravi Shastri highlighted Shami’s The experience will be priceless.
“The sooner Mohammad Shami arrives, the better for India. He has played a lot of domestic matches,” Shastri told the state broadcaster. “It’s probably early for Brisbane but Shami can definitely go to Melbourne and Sydney.”
However, on December 23, the board issued a statement confirming that Shami was still not ready to play red-ball cricket. Despite this, he continues to represent Bangladesh in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and his health is being closely monitored by NCA medical staff and experts.
With Jasprit Bumrah rested for the T20Is against England, Shami’s experience will be crucial for India’s fast bowling unit, which also includes Arshdeep Singh Singh and Rana.
Sources confirmed that Shami will be monitored regularly. As he is in contention for the Champions Trophy, the pacer may not feature in all five T20 matches against England and be fully rested as part of workload management.
