IND vs ENG 2025: Mohammed Shami's long-awaited comeback ends as pacer gets India recall

Veteran India pacer Mohammed Shami has been recalled into the Indian team for the upcoming five-match T20I series against England. Shami's inclusion was finalized after the All India Men's Senior Selection Committee, led by Ajit Agarkar attended a meeting at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) headquarters in Mumbai on Saturday, January 11.

The pacer's return comes after a nearly 15-month hiatus from the international arena. It is well-known that Shami last played an international game with the ODI World Cup final in 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, where Australia beat the Men in Blue. However, the pacer will finally be seen in action again during the England series, which gets underway on January 22 at his home ground, the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

It is noteworthy to mention that the Amroha-born's inclusion in the ODI leg of the same series followed by the Champions Trophy 2025 is still awaited. Hence, it is understood that after a fair assessment of his comeback to the international scene, a call on his addition for the upcoming events will be taken, depending on the developments that occur.

Apart from Shami, star all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who impressed everyone with his Border-Gavaskar Trophy heroics, has also been included in the squad, while Riyan Parag, who has been undergoing rehab at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, was not considered.

Meanwhile, Dhruv Jurel, who played only one game in the Australia series, has replaced Vidarbha stumper-batter Jitesh Sharma. Sanju Samson, however, is expected to be the first preference for donning the wicketkeeper's gloves throughout the series. The Kerala cricketer, who held an edge over Rishabh Pant for selection, is also expected to open alongside Abhishek Sharma, while Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal have remained ignored for the series in the Suryakumar Yadav-led side.

An all-rounder-heavy squad has been put in place by the Agarkar-led committee for the series, which includes Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Nitish, Washington Sundar, and Rana. India's pace battery for the series includes Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Hardik Pandya, and Nitish, whereas, Bishnoi, Axar and Varun Chakravarthy will hold ends with spin.

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