Is Mohammed Shami playing today's IND vs ENG 2025 1st T20I?
Team India pacer Mohammed Shami's comeback has been delayed as he is not part of the playing XI for the first T20I against England at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday, January 22. The right-arm pacer was all set to return to the mix after a prolonged absence due to injury, but the Men in Blue have instead gone with only one frontline pacer in the form of Arshdeep Singh.
Shami was named in the squads for the white-ball series against England after fruitful outings for Bengal in the domestic circuit. He was involved heavily in the state team's run in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Touted to don the national colors once again in front of his home ground, Team India skipper Suryakumar Yadav dropped a major surprise at the toss.
Shami had trained with the rest of the squad during the build-up to the fixture. However, according to some reports, he had walked off the field midway after feeling some discomfort. Even on the day of the contest, he was seen bowling with a heavily strapped knee.
Team India captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed during the toss that Shami was among the four names that missed out on the playing XI for the series opener.
"The wicket looks a little sticky, and we have practised here, so the dew should set in later on. The boys have been amazing with their performances, and those joining us from Australia will only add to the flavour! It's going to be great competition between the sides. Guys missing out today are Shami, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana and Dhruv Jurel," Suryakumar Yadav said after putting England into bat first.
Mohammed Shami last played for India during the 2023 ODI World Cup final against Australia. He was in contention to feature in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in late 2024, but could not prove his full fitness for the longest format in time to the management.
Mohammed Shami's last T20I appearance for India came at the 2022 T20 World Cup
The right-arm pacer was one of the senior players who were not heavily considered for the shortest format after the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final debacle. However, he continued to impress in the format, winning the Purple Cap in IPL 2023, and earning a bumper deal with the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the 2025 mega-auction.
Mohammed Shami is touted to be a key factor for India at the 2025 Champions Trophy, given Jasprit Bumrah is currently recovering from an injury and Mohammed Siraj's exclusion.