Mohammed Shami was initially left out of India’s fast bowling squad for the World Cup. It has been about a year since he played T20 cricket. Before the World Cup, he was due to play against South Africa and Australia in India, but was unable to play due to the coronavirus.
With the World Cup around the corner, Mohammed Shami was expected to miss out. It was then that Bumrah got injured. Bumrah withdrew from the World Cup series at the last moment.
BCCI wanted either Deepak Chahar or Avesh Khan to replace Bumrah. But because their bowling was not in the right order, BCCI chose Mohammed Shami.
Can Mohammed Shami, who bowls prodigiously in Tests, bowl better in T20Is? There was a doubt. But Shami has bowled better on the Australian grounds. Based on that experience, BCCI included him in the playing XI.
Mohammed Shami has bowled tremendously in all the four matches that have been held so far. He is 4-25-1 against Pakistan, 4-27-1 against Netherlands, 4-13-1 and 3-25-1 against South Africa.
He explained why he bowled so well after being dropped from T20I and being reinstated.
He said about this:-
It’s all about progression. The team management has told me to always be ready. You will be called when the team needs you. That’s what we always say. If you have seen my video, I have never stopped training, I will continue to train.
Transitioning from one form of cricket to another i.e. red ball cricket to white ball cricket is not always easy.
I am currently playing T20 after the T20 World Cup. I agree that a player needs more confidence than what color ball. It definitely takes practice.
Bowling with the new ball and the old ball is all about experience. If you watch me in the match, I will bowl with the new ball. However, during practice, I usually use an old ball or a new ball that is somewhat worn.
During last year’s World Cup series, Shami conceded the most runs against Pakistan. Because of this, he came under heavy criticism. But in the ongoing World Cup, he defeated Iftikhar, who played aggressively, and supported the victory of the Indian team.