While announcing the squad for the upcoming three ODIs at home against England and the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to start from February 19 in Pakistan and Dubai, where the Indian side has brought back their veteran pacer, Mohammad Shami, the regular captain, Rohit Sharma, has heaped praise on the bowler.
The pacer will also be part of the three ODIs at home against England in the preparation of the event. Mohammad Shami will also feature in the five-match T20I series at home before that. It will be his first appearance for the national side across formats since the final of the ODI World Cup 2024 in Ahmedabad, while the first-ever game in the shortest format after nearly two and half years.
The Bengal pacer has enjoyed 195 scalps in 101 ODI games at an average of nearly 24 and a strike rate of 25.5 with an economy rate of 5.55, thanks to his ten four-wicket hauls and five five-wicket hauls at the best bowling figure of 7/57 in an inning.
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He was the leading wicket-taker of that World Cup with the help of 24 scalps in seven innings at an average of below 11 and a strike rate of 12.20 thanks to three five-wicket hauls.
“Mohammad Shami is a stalwart of white-ball cricket”- Rohit Sharma
Mohammad Shami didn’t feature in a single game for the national side since that event, as he missed a few Test series at home, along with the 2024 season of the Indian Premier League and the T20 World Cup 2024. The Uttar Pradesh-born was expected to make a return to the national side during the five-match Test series of the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, but nothing happened.
Mohammad Shami returned to domestic cricket with the Bengal side after undergoing ankle surgery that kept him sidelined for nearly a year. He was also part of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 and the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25 recently. In the 50-over tournament, the right-arm pacer claimed five wickets in three innings.
He also made an impressive return to the competitive game during their fifth and final round of the Ranji Trophy 2025 against Madhya Pradesh at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. The Indian captain lauds Shami’s performance in the ODI World Cup and claimed that it was superb to his show with the ball.
“Mohammad Shami is a stalwart of white ball cricket. What he did recently in the World Cup was superb to watch, if you talk about everyone, you can’t please everyone. So, at the end of the day, you try, and make the best team and best possible squad to win games under different situations.” The Nagpur-born told the media reporters.
The 34-year-old collected 43 scalps in 19 innings of the ODI format, an average of 16.47, and a strike rate of 18.53 with an economy rate of 5.33 with the help of five four-wicket hauls. The eight-team tournament will feature 15 games.
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India will start their campaign against Bangladesh before they face Pakistan in Dubai in the most anticipated clash. They will end their group stage of the tournament against New Zealand on March 02. The selectors have looked to invest in their experienced players as Shubman Gill has been given the responsibility of the vice-captaincy.
If Jasprit Bumrah misses out due to injury, then Mohammad Shami will need to be the leader of the pace bowling attack. He has yet to be part of the ODI games in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).