Veteran India pacer Mohammed Shami has replaced injured India pacer Jasprit Bumrah in the 15-member India’s T20 World Cup 2022 squad, starting October 16 in Australia. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed this development on Friday, October 14.
Shami was initially named on the standby list for the T20 World Cup squad before an injury ruled Bumrah out of the marque event. With this, he entered the main squad as well. Meanwhile, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra believes Team India made the right decision with this.
He also added that the decision to select Shami wasn’t baffling, but not to give him even a single chance over a year, even when he was fit, is something that can’t be tolerable. While some eyebrows have been raised on Shami’s selection as he hasn’t played a single T20I since last year’s T20 World Cup, Aakash Chopra said on social media that it made “perfect sense.”
“Shami to replace Bumrah. Makes perfect sense. What doesn’t make sense is the fact that he hasn’t played a single T20i since the last World Cup. And that’s got nothing to do with his fitness. He was always available…,” Chopra tweeted.
Shami to replace Bumrah. Makes perfect sense.
What doesn’t make sense is the fact that he hasn’t played a single T20i since the last World Cup. And that’s got nothing to do with his fitness. He was always available…— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) October 14, 2022
Notably, Mohammed Shami hasn’t played a single T20I since last year’s T20 World Cup. He looked in great form during this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL), finishing as the highest wicket-taker for title-winners Gujarat Titans (GT) by scalping 20 wickets from 16 innings.
Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur named in India’s standby list
With Deepak Chahar ruled out of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 again, the BCCI named Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur in the list of reserves. Both of them were part of India’s ODI squad that played the home series against South Africa.
They bowled exceptionally well in the absence of senior pacers as India clinched the series from 0-1 down.
India squad for ICC T20 World Cup: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, R. Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami.
Reserves: Mohammed Siraj, Ravi Bishnoi, Shreyas Iyer, Shardul Thakur
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