Mohammed Shami had the maximum spotlight on him from the moment the Indian squad for the T20Is against England was named. The impactful pacer has not played a single match since the 2023 ODI World Cup final against Australia as injury continued to delay his comeback. He even underwent ankle surgery before missing the Border Gavaskar Trophy due to a knee problem. But he made a decent return in domestic cricket and was even included in the Champions Trophy squad. However, Shami did not find a place in the Indian team for the first T20I against England.
Former India opener Aakash Chopra opined that Mohammed Shami may not be 100 percent fit.
“Shami is not playing. Obviously he is not 100% fit for today. India have opted to play just one frontline pacer in Arshdeep. Hardik-Nitish the other two pace options. England have fielded four good pacers. Both captains see the field differently? he wrote on X.
Shami is not playing. Obviously not 100% fit for today.
India have opted to field just one frontline pacer in Arshdeep. Hardik-Nitish the other two pace options.
England have fielded four good pacers.
Both captains see the field differently #INDvENG #AakashVani— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) January 22, 2025
At the toss, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav did not specifically speak about Shami's absence but said he was playing to strength.
“We'll bowl first. The wicket looks sticky, dew will come later. Later it will be tougher. The boys have been great. The preparations have been good, I'm looking forward to this series. It's going to be a There is great competition between both sides. A good headache, we want to stick to our strengths,” he said.
Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and elected to bowl in the first T20I of the five-match series against England at the iconic Eden Gardens on Wednesday. With four consecutive series wins, India boasts a remarkable record against England in the T20I format. Led by Suryakumar Yadav, the Men in Blue will be keen to lay the foundation for expanding their record in Kolkata.
England captain Jos Buttler said during the toss: “Looks good, I'm sure it will be a good match. There will be some dew around. It's a great ground, it's an honor to play against India playing in Under these circumstances everyone is in a good place. It's nice to be together, there's a lot to look forward to. McCullum is taking charge, he has a lot of experience. It's going to be a challenge, we're ready for it There is incredible talent in both sides Saqib Mahmood, Brydon Carse, Jamie Smith and Rehan Ahmed will miss it.”
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