IND vs ENG 2025: Mohammed Shami eyes entry to distinguished list on India return
The series opener between India and England will be played on Wednesday, January 22.
India are set to get their five-match T20I series against England underway at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday, January 22. A lot of eyeballs will be on the white-ball unit, as they would be expected to perform at an improved level as compared to India's squad in the longest format.
A significant chunk of attention would be on right-arm speedster, Mohammed Shami, too. After all, he is all set to make a comeback to international cricket after more than 12 months. The leading wicket-taker of the 2023 edition of the Cricket World Cup injured his knee shortly after. The entire process of recuperation took almost a year out of Shami's time. He recently garnered vital game time while representing Bengal in the domestic circuit.
The series opener provides a massive opportunity for Shami to be back with a bang. He has an opportunity of becoming just the fourth Indian pacer to join the 450-wicket club across formats as far as international cricket is concerned. Kapil Dev, Zaheer Khan, and Javagal Srinath are the three pace bowlers ahead of him before the fixture in Kolkata.
Below is the list of Indian bowlers with the most dismissals in international cricket:
| Player | Matches | Wickets |
| Anil Kumble | 401 | 953 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 287 | 765 |
| Harbhajan Singh | 365 | 707 |
| Kapil Dev | 356 | 687 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 351 | 597 |
| Zaheer Khan | 351 | 597 |
| Javagal Srinath | 296 | 551 |
| Mohammed Shami | 188 | 448 |
Also Check: WATCH: Mohammed Shami's soaring flying kite - A moment of pure cricket inspiration
In a video uploaded on social media platforms of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Shami disclosed the troubled times he had to undergo while being out of the national setup.
“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. 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. That’s what I believe,” Shami said.
Speaking of Shami's numbers in each format, he has scalped 229, 195, and 24 wickets in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is, respectively.
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