IND vs ENG: Mohammed Shami 'should have played', 'Ridiculous' by Gautam Gambhir, criticise fans after seeing 1st T20 line-up

Add as a preferred source on Google

IND vs ENG: The exclusion of Mohammed Shami from the playing XI for the 1st T20I against England at Kolkata's Eden Gardens has sparked widespread criticism. Despite being declared fit after a long injury layoff, Shami's absence in the final XI left fans and cricket pundits baffled.

Skipper Suryakumar Yadav explained that Shami, along with Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, and Harshit Rana, was left out in a tactical move designed to leverage Eden's spin-friendly conditions.

India's decision to field just one specialist pacer in Arshdeep Singh and rely on pace all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Nitish Reddy to complement the three spinners-Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, and Axar Patel-was seen as a strategic call. "We will look to bowl first. The wicket looks sticky, and dew will play a big role later," Suryakumar said at the toss.

However, fans on social media expressed their discontent. A fan tweeted, "Shami's exclusion in context: NCA clears him. Gets picked for all 3 squads as TM wants him to have game time and build towards CT. Game is at Eden, his home, where you expect help for pace. Yet he sits out. Absolutely ridiculous call."

Another fan criticized the composition of the team, saying, "Damn, what pitch are we expecting? Three spinners, one pacer? GG has so much confidence in his all-rounders NKR and Hardik. Hope it does not backfire."

Others highlighted Shami's potential impact, especially in conditions where swing bowlers thrive. "Yaar Shami ko aaj to khilana tha kamse kam. (Shami should have at least played today.) Uski kya swing hoti yahan pe. (He would have swung the ball beautifully here)," tweeted one.

The controversy also stems from Shami's fitness history. After missing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year, where India's 3-1 series loss cost them a World Test Championship final spot, the BCCI medical team advised against rushing him back. While he performed well domestically, the management has been cautious with his workload.

While some fans argued that Shami's absence might be part of a long-term workload management plan, others believe India missed an opportunity to bolster their bowling attack at a venue known for aiding pace early in the innings.