Mohammed Shami makes his long-awaited India comeback at the Eden Gardens tonight. How he fares in the coming set of games against England should tell us a lot about his future, and India’s immediate prospects.
What his return to white-ball cricket also means is that the debate for Shami in Test cricket will be reignited. Sourav Ganguly has already said that Shami’s presence in England will help Bumrah and vice versa. “Bumrah benefits from Shami and also the other way round,” said Ganguly. “Shami being there in England can make a real difference for India.”
Shami was excited “I have always said that I was born in UP, but made by Bengal,” he said at a Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) event on Monday. “Mohammed Shami became what he is today at the Eden Gardens. There can’t be anything better than wearing the blue jersey yet one more time at the Eden Gardens in front of my home fans. As a cricketer, you live for these moments.”
Shami finished as India’s leading wicket taker in the ICC World Cup 2023, besides being the fastest bowler to take 50 wickets in the 48 years history of Cricket World Cup spanning 13 editions. He is recipient of 2023 Arjuna Award for Cricket. Having taken 7 wickets for 57 runs against New Zealand in the 2023 Cricket World Cup semi final, he holds the record for the best figures for an Indian Bowler in ODIs, and is currently, the only Indian bowler to have taken 7 wickets in an ODI innings.
Picture Courtesy: CAB
Report- Pratyusha Mukherjee
