India vs England: Mohammed Shami expected to make appearance at fag end of series

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India vs England: Fit-again Mohammed Shami may not have played the first two matches of the T20 series against England, but he is expected to make an appearance at the fag of the series, a source told MyKhel.

It also makes sense for the Indian team management to rotate their pacers, especially with the ODI series against England and the Champions Trophy 2025 on the horizon. Resting Arshdeep Singh and bringing in a seasoned campaigner like Mohammed Shami aligns well with the management's focus on workload management and maintaining a balance in the bowling attack.

The strategy to play more spinners is also in line with the expected subcontinental conditions, which often favour spin. By giving spinners a more prominent role and managing the pacers' workload smartly, the team can ensure freshness and peak performance for crucial tournaments. The 34-year-old pacer's experience and ability to deliver breakthroughs will complement the spinners while also offering depth in the fast-bowling department.

Earlier, Mohammed Shami was declared fit by the National Cricket Academy and he was asked to prove his match fitness in the Ranji Trophy games, which he did quite willingly play. He even played the Vijay Hazare Trophy matches for Bengal and prior to that he picked up a niggling pain that haunted him from joining India's Test team in Australia.

India coach Gautam Gambir too made it a point that the team should have got fit players rather than injured bowlers. "The fact that Shami is with the India T20 team proves to show that he is fit," a BCCI source said while adding that if he wasn't he would have been at the NCA for sure.

There are also apprehensions that Shami may not be in his best form like he was during the 2023 World Cup at home. "Due to his knee and ankle injury, he won't be in prime form for sure. Therefore, it is important to use Shami tactically rather than going full throttle," the source added.