• Mohammed Shami was sidelined during the first T20I match between India and England at the Eden Gardens.

  • Piyush Chawla emphasized the importance of Shami's full recovery for the Champions Trophy 2025.

Piyush Chawla addresses Mohammed Shami’s absence in the first T20I against England
Piyush Chawla and Mohammed Shami (Image Source: X)

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Mohammed Shami‘s much-anticipated return to international cricket took an unexpected turn as he did not feature in the first match of the ongoing T20I series against England at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

Shami, who recently recovered from a long-term ankle injury, was included in the squad, raising hopes among fans to see the right-arm fast bowler back in action. Despite India’s comfortable 7-wicket victory, fans expressed disappointment over Shami’s absence on the field. Former Indian spinner Piyush Chawla weighed in on the matter, providing insights into Shami’s fitness and the team’s decision-making.

Mohammed Shami’s long road to recovery

Shami last represented India in the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 final against Australia. His cricketing journey was interrupted by an ankle injury that required surgery and an extended rehabilitation period. After 14 months of recovery, Shami was included in the squads for the five-match T20I series and the three-match ODI series against England. Additionally, he has been named in India’s Champions Trophy 2025 squad, with the tournament set to be held from February 19 to March 9, 2025, in a hybrid format co-hosted by Pakistan and the UAE.

Also READ: Twitter reactions: Abhishek Sharma, Varun Chakravarthy shine as India crush England by 7 wickets in the Kolkata T20I

“Champions Trophy is the priority”: Piyush Chawla

Former Indian spinner Chawla explained that Shami’s absence from the playing XI in the first T20I was due to fitness concerns. He observed Shami limping during his run-up in the nets, suggesting that the team’s focus should be on getting him fit for the Champions Trophy. The leg-spinner emphasized that missing a few matches in the series would be acceptable if it helped Shami regain full fitness.

“If you see the run-up, he is still limping a bit. The main target should be Champions Trophy, and getting fit for that. Lots of matches in this series, even if he misses a few games, that is okay,” Chawla said while speaking to the broadcaster as quoted by Hindustan Times.

Also READ: IND vs ENG 2025: Arshdeep Singh shatters Yuzvendra Chahal’s bowling record in the first T20I

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CATEGORY: Champions Trophy England Featured India Mohammed Shami Piyush Chawla T20

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SIDDHARTHA SAWLANI
Siddhartha is a Content Strategist at Cricket Times, holding a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. His passion for cricket was ignited by India’s triumph in the 2011 World Cup. Alongside his dedication to cricket, Siddhartha is an accomplished state-level table tennis player. With a longstanding ambition to become a sports journalist, he brings both academic expertise and a deep enthusiasm for the sport to his role. His admiration for AB de Villiers underscores his commitment to excellence in cricket journalism. You can write to him at siddhartha@crickettimes.com and follow him on Linkedin.