Aakash Chopra believes pacer Mohammed Shami is not a sure-shot pick as a Team India seamer for the upcoming T20 World Cup slated later this year.
Mohammed Shami was the standout Indian bowler in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. His four-wicket haul in New Zealand’s first innings helped India stage a late comeback in the summit clash but India’s defeat and lacklustre performance by other pacers raise questions on whom to pick as pacers for the T20 World Cup in a packed international schedule.
Aakash Chopra On Mohammed Shami
Aakash Chopra was asked in a video shared on his YouTube channel, whether pacer Mohammed Shami could replicate his performance in the WTC final at the T20 World Cup. The cricketer-turned-commentator responded that the right-arm seamer is not a certainty in the Indian T20I team.
“Shami is not an automatic choice. You want him to be there. He did well for Kings XI Punjab in Dubai but he was just about okay for Punjab Kings here. He was coming back from injury and did not have the rhythm.”
However, Aakash Chopra added Mohammed Shami could be in the Indian team’s scheme of things for the T20 World Cup if he performs up to expectations in the five-Test series against England and the remainder of IPL 2021 for Punjab Kings to be held at UAE. He picked 8 scalps in as many matches in IPL 2021 and did well last season too where he picked 20 scalps averaging 23 in 14 games in the UAE.
“If you talk about T20, it is the one format where Shami doesn’t walk into the team straightaway. But if the player keeps on doing well, he will play the five Tests and then the IPL, if he is carrying forward that form, of course, why not.”
Mohammed Shami has scalped 12 wickets in as many T20Is he has played for Team India. He has proved to be quite expensive as well, having conceded an average of 9.80 runs per over averaging a high 35.67.
Aakash Chopra: Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar Are Ahead Of Mohammed Shami In Pecking Order For T20 World Cup
Aakash Chopra highlighted that Mohammed Shami does not have great numbers in the shortest format of the game as he feels pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar should play ahead of Mohammed Shami.
“Shami’s T20 numbers are alright. They haven’t been extraordinary ever. And because of that, he is not part of every T20 team as well. Especially if you see this team, you will put Bumrah in this T20 Team without any hesitation. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Deepak Chahar are ahead of him on this list or standing at par. Then there will be T Natarajan. You will want to consider him as soon as he is fit and available.”
The 43-year-old signed off by picking Mohammed Shami at the fourth spot in his pecking order of Indian seamers for the T20 World Cup.
“If I have to give my first three choices – Bumrah is No.1, Bhuvi is No.2, I am going with Deepak Chahar as No.3 and then I have got Shami at four. I have got Natarajan at five. But then Shardul Thakur is also there, there is actually a crowd – Siraj and Umesh are also there. But this will be my pecking order.
“Shami is there in my top four but he is not there in my first two. My first two will be Bumrah and Bhuvi and I will want to start with them only, ” said Aakash Chopra.
Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are likely to be India’s first-choice seamers if they are fit and available. India though may not field Bhuvneshwar and Deepak Chahar together in the playing XI, whereas the newest acquisition T Natarajan could steal a march over Mohammed Shami for the left-arm variety and his ability to bowl yorkers at the death.
Mohammed Shami picked up 4/76 and Ishant Sharma claimed 3/48, which restricted New Zealand’s first-innings lead to 32, whereas Jasprit Bumrah went wicketless in the WTC final.