3 teams that should target Mohammed Shami in IPL 2025 auction ft. KKR
Mohammed Shami will enter the IPL 2025 auction with a base price of INR 2 crore and huge expectations from the cricket fraternity. The right-arm pacer recently returned to competitive cricket after one year, having now recovered from an ankle injury.
Shami represented Bengal in their Ranji Trophy clash against Madhya Pradesh. Despite remaining wicketless in his first 10 overs on Day 1, the 34-year-old looked in good rhythm on the second day (Thursday). He finished with figures of 4/54 and helped his side secure a 61-run first-innings lead.
After missing the entire IPL 2024 season, Gujarat Titans decided to release Mohammed Shami ahead of the mega auction. He took 48 wickets in 33 games for the Titans, while emerging as the Purple Cap holder with 28 scalps in 2023.
On that note, let's take a look at a few franchises who should take an interest in securing the services of the veteran pacer.
#1 Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
The five-time champions chose to retain five players - Ruturaj Gaikwad, Matheesha Pathirana, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni. In the auction, Super Kings will look to focus on purchasing quality bowlers.
A great exponent of swing bowling, Mohammed Shami could handle the new-ball duties for the franchise. Although the surface at Chennai is known to be spin conducive, red soil was imported from Mumbai to support pacers in the recent India-Bangladesh Test. If a similar tactic is used by the franchise, Shami can prove to be lethal for the opposition team.
With Shami bowling in the powerplay overs, spinners doing their work in the middle-overs, Pathirana can keep his focus on the death overs. In the 2023 season, the Sri Lankan pacer emerged as the highest-wicket taker at the death with 18 scalps.
#2 Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
The IPL 2024 champions retained six players - Rinku Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Harshit Rana and Ramandeep Singh. Rana was the joint-highest wicket-taker among pacers for the Knight Riders with 19 wickets, along with Russell.
However, they decided to let go of an experienced bowler like Mitchell Starc, who took 17 wickets and secured early breakthroughs for the side. In this regard, Shami can perfectly fill the spot of Starc due to his experience and wicket-taking abilities in the powerplay.
Predominantly, Rana and Russell would be used by the KKR side in the middle and death overs. With the acquisition of Shami, they will get a proven performer with the new ball and also a player who has experience of playing at Eden Gardens, owing to Bengal being his domestic state side.
#3 Delhi Capitals (DC)
The Delhi-based franchise announced their four retentions in the form of Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs and Abhishek Porel. With none of them being pacers, the side will need proficient fast bowlers, who would be be leading the charge in the first six overs.
With Mohammed Shami spending four seasons with DC earlier in the league, he could find interest from the team management. Although he has managed to pick up only 10 wickets in 15 IPL games at Arun Jaitley Stadium, he is a much improved bowler than when he left the franchise in 2018.
With a remaining purse of INR 73 crore, the team surely has the budget to bring back Shami into the side, and build a pace attack around him.