India pacer Mohammad Shami might get to play his second game of the ongoing Asia Cup 2023, when the Men in Blue clash with Bangladesh in their final Super 4s stage encounter on Friday, September 15.
With India already qualifying for the final of the tournament, which will be played on Sunday, September 17, the team management is looking to do some workload management given that Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya are susceptible to back injuries and have been bowling for some time now.
The Rohit Sharma-led outfit will think deeply about whether to give as much game time as possible to its first-choice team or give an opportunity to some of the fringe players ahead of the World Cup at home next month.
Jasprit Bumrah has bowled just 12 overs so far in the Asia Cup – five against Pakistan and seven against Sri Lanka. He did not play against Nepal. On the other hand, Mohammed Siraj has bowled 19.2 overs and Hardik Pandya 18 overs in this tournament.
Reports have suggested that Mohammed Shami might get a look-in against Bangladesh. And bringing in Mohammad Shami will also give the senior pacer some valuable real-match time under his belt before the quadrennial big bash, starting October 5.
Axar Patel’s Inability To Pick Wickets A Concern For Team Management- Report
On the other hand, the team thinktank might be concerned as Axar Patel has not been able to perform as a cover for Ravindra Jadeja. The left-arm spinner has neither been able to take wickets and contain the run-flow, an area where Jadeja excels.
This year, Axar has played seven ODIs this year, and managed to take only three wickets and his economy is hovering around six. The team management would expect a significant lift in his game, and immediately too.
KL Rahul will be expected to continue with his duty of batting at no.4 and keeping wickets given that all eyes are currently on the fitness of Shreyas Iyer, who took part in the optional practice session on Thursday.
Shreyas batted and bowled at the nets on Thursday without any visible discomfort, and that should come as a pleasing development for the team. But if the management wants to give some extra time for the Mumbaikar to recuperate, they can weigh their options between Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav.