Injury scare or tactical call: What kept Mohammed Shami out of the 1st IND vs ENG T20I?

The return of Mohammed Shami to international cricket was one of the most-awaited aspects of the England Tour of India. The seasoned pacer last played in the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup. Since then, incessant issues with his ankle, which required surgery, and his knee have kept him out of the game.Upon a likeable recovery almost an year from the World Cup, Shami marked his return with notable stints in the domestic circuit. The Bengal player featured in the initial round of the Ranji Trophy and also participated in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. However, despite his impressive comeback, the management seemed apprehensive about fast-tracking his return to Team India. With the Border Gavaskar Trophy and the red-ball season behind them, the team regrouped for the white-ball season, with the ICC Champions Trophy swiftly approaching. Interestingly, Shami finally earned a call-up for the marquee event and the preceding England Tour of India.

Why did India not play Mohammed Shami in the 1st IND vs ENG T20I?

Until the toss in Kolkata, fans and the cricketing fraternity were confident that Shami would secure a spot in the Playing XI for the match. With his return to international cricket materializing after over a year, it seemed only fitting for the pacer to get some crucial game time before the all-important ICC Champions Trophy begins in February. The England Tour of India, featuring 5 T20Is and 3 ODIs, provided the perfect opportunity for Indian players to regain their rhythm. Thus, when India's T20I skipper didn't include Shami in the Playing XI for the 1st T20I against England, the decision raised many questions.

India opted for a spin-heavy approach in the opening clash, with Varun Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi joining vice-captain Axar Patel in the XI. For the pace department, Arshdeep Singh was accompanied by all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy. Initial speculations suggested that Mohammed Shami had not yet regained full fitness, delaying his return further.

"Shami not playing. Obviously not 100% fit for today. India has chosen to play only one frontline pacer in Arshdeep. Hardik-Nitish the two other pace options. England fielded 4 proper pacers. Both captains seeing the pitch differently," Aakash Chopra expressed following the team announcement.

England played with four pacers namely Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Gus Atkinson, and Jamie Overton. However, the visitors faced a bashing in all departments as India reiterated its prowess in the shorter format of the game. As the game unfolded, India's decision to count on spinners emerged as a successful one as Varun Chakravarthy brought the English batting line-up to its knees. Meanwhile, Arshdeep showed his mastery with the new ball as he entered the record books as the bowler with most wickets for India in T20Is. When the chase began, the young opener Abhishek Sharma proved more than enough to tackle the 133 target set by the English. The opener smashed at a strike rate of 232 to smash the England bowlers out of the park. India won the opening T20I by 7 wickets and an explanation for Shami's absence followed as skipper Suryakumar Yadav took the mic.

The Indian captain refuted any injury scares around Mohammed Shami as he termed his selection call based purely on tactical decisions. SKY explained that he gauged the conditions to be in favour of the spinners at Eden Gardens, thus going for three spinners in the Playing XI. Moreover, the situation further cleared up when the star of India's show in the evening, Abhishek Sharma further highlighted the team's call to play on its strength.

"We wanted to stick to our strengths. We did the same thing when we played in South Africa. Hardik took the responsibility of bowling with the new ball, and I had a little bit of cushion to play that extra spinner," said Suryakumar Yadav.

“I feel it’s the decision of the team management and they thought it’s a better option keeping in mind of these conditions," Abhishek later added.

Meanwhile, India's star pacer Arshdeep Singh also provided a late insight into the condition of Mohammed Shami currently. Dashing the possibility of any injury concerns around the senior seamer, Arshdeep expressed amazement at Shami's form in the nets. He remarked that Shami’s bowling seemed reminiscent of his younger days, showcasing the same level of brilliance and sharpness.

"Just yesterday, I was talking about the same thing with Shami Bhai because when he was bowling, the way the ball was coming out of his hand was absolutely amazing. With every delivery, you would say, 'Wow, how can such an incredible ball come out of someone's hand like this!' Just wait for a few more days, and you'll get to see that bowling, and you’ll enjoy it a lot. The way the ball is coming out of his hand makes it look like the 22-year-old Shami Bhai is bowling again," Arshdeep said.