Mohammed Shami trains with Indian team after 14 months in Kolkata with a heavily strapped knee – India TV

Indian pacer Mohammed Shami had his knee heavily strapped as he returned to the training ground with the national side after a gap of 14 months at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Shami is returning from a long layoff where he got operated on his troubling Achilles Heel before his knee acted up but his recent spells in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy, keep the Indian team, the selectors and the management in hope of him getting completely fit before the ODIs and the Champions Trophy.

Shami started bowling with a short run-up initially while not being at his full speed. However, he was building towards what was to come. The right-arm pacer was constantly in talks with Indian bowling coach Morne Morkel as the tall ex-South African was watching over the proceedings. Shami slowly built it up to bowl at full tilt with the usual long run-up and Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma. 

The practice session continued for over an hour as Shami got into his rhythm troubling the batters with his pace and bounce on several occasions. There was a moment of worry when Shami walked off with a limp but returned soon to bowl again, as per the PTI report. Dhruv Jurel played some attacking strokes against Shami but all-in-all, the pacer had a good hit-out. However, he wasn’t done. 

Shami later on moved to the adjacent length-bowling practice area where he was in constant discussions with the bowling coach Morne Morkel. The duo setup a two-stump drill for Shami to test his accuracy by repeatedly hitting that mark before the pacer joined Hardik Pandya and Harshit Rana for further practice.

The pacer will be playing for India for the first time since the World Cup final in November 2023 and a first T20I since the T20 World Cup 2022 semi-final against England in Adelaide. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar mentioned during the press conference that bringing Shami back to T20Is was to get him running in international cricket and play under pressure building up his workload for the ODIs and the Champions Trophy.

“I don’t think his fitness was anything to do with white-ball cricket anyway. We were trying to get him to Australia,” said Agarkar in the press conference alongside skipper Rohit Sharma on Saturday, January 18.

“Unfortunately, his knee didn’t allow him to play four-day or five-day cricket. With regards to white-ball, I think he has played most of the Syed Mushtaq Ali games and some of the Vijay Hazare games.

“With uncertainty around Jassi (Bumrah) as well, if he (Shami) is fit and playing regularly, the quality and the experience that he brings is invaluable.

“To get him involved in T20is is precisely because of that. To get him back into international cricket and play under pressure.

“Even though it’s T20I cricket, it will be high-intensity. He has got quality. If he was fit, he was always going to be part of the discussion. We are hoping he comes through these games and by the time the Champions Trophy comes, he is 100 per cent,” Agarkar added.

Shami will have the likes of Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh for support in the pace department with Hardik being the all-rounder. The five-match T20I series between India and England begins Wednesday, January 22 in Kolkata.