Lakshmipathy Balaji, a former pacer for India, offered his thoughts on the subject, stating that Shami’s performance for the team is crucial. He also talked about how he carried the Indian bowling until Bumrah entered the game.
On February 20, the Indian squad will play Bangladesh in the opening match of their Champions Trophy 2025 campaign. The team and the players selected for the competition are already the subject of discussions. The Indian team’s pace attack is one of the main topics of discussion among analysts and supporters.
The Indian team is severely hurt by Jasprit Bumrah‘s absence, but they still have Mohammed Shami, a top bowler, who will probably spearhead the attack. However, given he is just recovering from an ankle injury, there are still concerns regarding his fitness and if he will regain his rhythm throughout the tournament.
In fact, he had defeated Bumrah in both the most recent World Cup (2023) and the 2019 50-over competition. Bumrah is the best bowler in all forms, but Shami is more seasoned and led India’s attack throughout until Bumrah arrived, according to Balaji, who was cited by The Indian Express.
6It’s crucial, in my opinion. Shami needs to do well with the new ball if India were to perform well. India will really benefit from the impact he can make in his first six overs with the new ball. In any case, the old ball is now a defensive game. “India will be greatly boosted if he can consistently make early inroads,” Balaji continued.
In addition, Lakshmipathy Balaji brought up Mohammed Shami’s injury and stated that,
Despite the fact that he may be needing some time to heal, he still believes the 34-year-old seamer would return stronger and establish himself as the team’s top young pacer.
Perhaps there was a little bit of delay after that (ankle) injury. It’s organic. You can’t do anything about it, though. Any athlete’s career includes it. As he bowls more, he will overcome it because he has the experience to do so. Balaji stated, “It’s just about accepting the (physical) condition and carrying on with his best practices.”
“At the moment, Shami is the pack leader. After all, he has long held the position of pack leader. Shami’s contributions to cricket over the past 12 years, particularly in Test cricket, have been enormous. Now, other bowlers will feel much more confident if he begins to hit with the fresh ball,” Balaji said.
India
