Mohammed Shami injured? Abhishek Sharma reveals Gautam Gambhir’s role in the pacer’s Kolkata T20I pre-match

Young opening batsman Abhishek Sharma opened the batting for veteran pacer Mohammed Shami from the playing XI in the opening match of the T20I series against the England cricket team.

Abhishek Sharma played down any concerns over the pacer’s injuries and said Mohammed Shami does not fit into the combination finalized by the Gautam Gambhir-led team management.

Also read: Mohammed Shami’s fresh injury confirmed as he misses the first IND vs ENG T20I

Mohammed Shami was expected to return to India in the Kolkata T20I

All eyes were on Mohammed Shami ahead of the first T20I between India and England as fans were almost certain that top pacer Mohammed Shami would make his return to India at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday, January 22.

In fact, Shami was sidelined with an ankle injury for over a year and returned to competitive cricket a few months ago. To make matters worse, the pacer also faced knee problems on his comeback and his hopes of featuring in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2024-25. have dispersed.

Meanwhile, Mohammed Shami has finally been picked in the squad for the T20I series against England after proving his fitness in domestic cricket and has also been named in the ODI squad for the series against England as well as the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.

The veteran pacer was surprisingly not picked in the playing XI for the first match of the T20I series in Kolkata as the team management preferred three spinners as part of their combination with Arshdeep Singh being the only specialist pacer in the line-up.

The team management went with a combination that suits the conditions – Abhishek Sharma

Shami also did not look fully fit in his run-up ahead of the match. Although there was no clear sign of discomfort or injury, there were fears about his fitness.

However, speaking at the post-match press conference after the first T20I, Abhishek Sharma revealed that Shami’s dismissal had more to do with the team combination than fitness. He said that Gautam Gambhir & Co. picked the playing XI looking at the conditions on offer at Eden Gardens.

“The team management has come out with a combination that suits the conditions. That’s how I see it,” said the explosive left-handed batsman on Shami’s absence.

Re Mohammed Shami’s omission – The team management went with a combination that suits the conditions. That’s how I see it: Abhishek

— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) January 22, 2025

Abhishek, who played a sensational score of 79 runs in the first T20I, further said that the coach and the captain have given him a lot of confidence.

“The coach and the captain told me not to be afraid of failure and just go there and express myself. When the coach and the captain say that, it gives you confidence,” added Abhishek Sharma.

But there must be some reason why Shami is not playing – Parthiv Patel

Former Indian cricketer Parthiv Patel was also shocked after Mohammed Shami missed out on playing XI and said:

“I think only the captain can tell you the reason or the leadership of the team. It is very surprising. We all hoped that he will get it after a long time.

“But there must be some reason why Shami is not playing. If he is there in your team, then there must be something, why Shami is not playing.”