IND vs ENG: ‘When You Go Through Injuries, You Grow Stronger’ – Mohammed Shami Recalls Comeback Journey

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Indian pacer Mohammed Shami opened up on his return to the national squad following a long injury layoff, saying that the process he gone through, will ony help "grow stronger".

Shami is set for his first international appearance since the 2023 ODI World Cup when the Men in Blue take on England in the first match of the five-match T20I series at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday (January 22).

With Jasprit Bumrah out of the squad for the five-match T20I series against the Three Lions, Shami is expected to lead the Indian pace attack that also includes Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana.

Last year, Shami returned to domestic cricket with Bengal after undergoing an ankle surgery that kept him sidelined for nearly a year. Shami had also been a part of Bengal's squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Shami had made an impressive comeback to competitive cricket, having last featured in the ODI World Cup 2023 final. Following ankle surgery and overcoming a series of setbacks, he returned to action for Bengal in a Ranji Trophy match against Madhya Pradesh in November.

Earlier on January 11, Shami was added to the India squad for the T20I series against England, and the senior pacer also found a place in the ODI and Champions Trophy squads that was announced a week later on January 18.

Speaking in a video shared on the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) social media handle and said that he had waited for an entire year and worked very hard to get back to the Team India squad.

The 34-year-old believes it would be difficult for any player to go through the process after injury, but he is relieved to have gone past that and made a comeback, adding hard work gets the results.

"I waited for an entire year and I worked very hard, there was a sense of fear even while running. It is difficult for any player to get injured after being in full flow, go to the NCA for rehabilitation and then make a comeback," Shami told BCCI in a video.

"When you go through injuries, I feel you grow stronger as an athlete. Because you have to repeat a lot of things while being mentally strong... whatever is done, it is done. I have crossed that phase. If you work hard, you will get the result."

The five-match T20I series will kick off on January 22 in Kolkata. The second and third matches will be held on January 25 and 28 in Chennai and Rajkot, respectively. The fourth game of the series will be played on January 31 in Pune. Mumbai will host the final match of the T20I series on February 2.