Sourav Ganguly feels Shami and Gambhir should be selected for Champions Trophy

Mohammed Shami is one of the finest pacers in the Indian cricket at the moment but is often troubled by injuries which have kept him off action most times since the World Cup 2017. On Wednesday, former India captain Sourav Ganguly backed Shami, to be a part of the Indian team for the upcoming Champions Trophy saying if the Bengal bowler is fit, he will automatically become a choice for the team that will travel to England.

Though it is not yet certain if India will participate in the prestigious 50-overs tournament. Ganguly highlighted Shami’s performance against Sunrisers Hyderabad, underlining that it was his spell that helped Delhi Daredevils notch up a much-needed win at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Thursday.

“Shami fared quite well in Tuesday’s (May 2) match. The ball to get rid of (David) Warner was a very good one. “If he is fit, he is well and truly an automatic choice in the Indian team. No second thoughts on that,” Ganguly said.

Against Hyderabad, Shami took two wickets – of David Warner and Kane Williamson and conceded 36 runs in his four overs to rightly deserve the Man of the Match award in his team’s six-wicket win.

At the same time, Ganguly also vouched for KKR captain Gautam Gambhir, saying it will be wise to select him for the Champions Trophy for the kind of form he is in. “Gambhir is in good form, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to keep him in the fray. Besides, Lokesh Rahul too is not available at the moment,” he said.

When asked for his comment on RCB’s poor campaign this edition, Ganguly felt that they lost confidence from the beginning itself, and it was hard to regain it with every passing loss. The CAB President also said that a side that boasts of big names does not mean it will do well every time.

“They lost momentum at the start itself and it’s really difficult to recover, considering the format of the game. You just don’t get enough time. Also, some of their main players (Virat Kohli and A.B. de Villiers) weren’t available during the initial stages, which let them down. Moreover, having big names in the squad doesn’t always mean that you will do well all the time,” he concluded.