"There was a report that he clutched his hamstring and went out during practice" - Aakash Chopra on the focus on Mohammed Shami in IND vs ENG T20Is
Former player Aakash Chopra has picked Mohammed Shami as one of the Indian players in focus in the T20I series against England. He noted that a report suggested the seamer faced some hamstring issues during practice ahead of the series.
India will face England in five T20Is, with the first game to be played in Kolkata on Wednesday, January 22. Shami is among three specialist seamers in the hosts' 15-member squad for the series, with Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana being the other two.
In a video shared on his YouTube 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener cited an example to point out that reports about Shami's injury concerns cannot be relied upon.
"Mohammed Shami's return, that's big news. He is an incredible guy. In fact, there was a report that he clutched his hamstring and went out during practice. It has become almost impossible to verify reports these days because someone says one thing and the other says something else," he said (8:15).
"A reporter told me that I am saying something but Ajit (Agarkar) is saying something else. He said that it's been covered in multiple places that Ajit said our first wicketkeeper-batter is Rishabh Pant and not KL Rahul. Both of us checked again and found out that Ajit Agarkar never said such a thing. However, it was spread so much that it seemed it was true," Chopra added.
The cricketer-turned-commentator noted that Shami will be in focus as he is making a comeback after a long time, with question marks over Jasprit Bumrah's fitness as well.
"I have got no idea why Shami went out but it's said that he went out, but has now returned. The focus will be on him as Bumrah's fitness is not known and we are looking at Mohammed Shami in this series because it's been a very long time. He has played just a few domestic matches after the World Cup final he played," Chopra elaborated.
Shami last played for India in the 2023 ODI World Cup final. Although Bumrah, who suffered back spasms during the last Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25, has been picked in India's squad for the ODI series against England and the 2025 Champions Trophy, his availability is not yet confirmed.
"Domestic matches are never going to be a yardstick for Mohammed Shami" - Aakash Chopra
![Mohammed Shami represented Bengal in all three formats over the last few months. [P/C: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/01/d5208-17375261547473-1920.jpg?w=500)
In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that Mohammed Shami cannot be judged based on his performances in domestic cricket.
"Domestic matches are never going to be a yardstick for Mohammed Shami. A player like Mohammed Shami will do the job even if he plays at his 50 to 60 percent in domestic cricket. He will pick up wickets and bowl the required number of overs," he said (9:40).
The analyst added that the pressure at the international level is different.
"However, he won't feel that pressure, and it's pressure that makes things go wrong. It's pressure because of which hamstrings get pulled, your feet don't fall at the right place, and you make mistakes. So the quality is undeniable but the pressure of international cricket will be felt for the first time," Chopra elaborated.
Chopra noted that the T20Is and ODIs against England are being seen as the precursor to the symphony. While observing that the fans might be worried about the Champions Trophy, he added that the matches against England are very important from Shami's point of view because if he does well, Jasprit Bumrah's fitness will be the only remaining concern for India.