シャミはフィットネスの問題によりテスト復帰の可能性は低いため、チャンピオンズトロフィーとIPL 2025に焦点を当てる

Mohammed Shami has decided to take a tough call. At 34 and with fitness not on his side, the veteran pacer has decided to leave the longest format of the game, Test cricket, behind and focus on the shortest formats of the game, ODI and T20. Returning from an ankle injury, Shami played one first-class match in November and has since played 9 T20 matches for Bengal in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024-25, but his fitness issues have persisted.

Shami’s fitness issues

It was reported that a physio has to tend to him after each 4-over spell in SMAT and that he even had swelling in his knees. Many wanted Shami to feature in the India vs Australia Test series, but his fitness ruled him out. Captain Rohit Sharma didn’t rule him out, but since he’s been named in Bengal’s squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy, it seems unlikely that he’ll travel to Australia. 

“The swelling seems to come and go. He himself is keen on playing more and more domestic cricket and hence the possibility of him once again playing Vijay Hazare Trophy for Bengal looks imminent at the moment. He can then bowl at least three spells and 10 overs per game,” a BCCI source told PTI.

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IPL & Champions Trophy, Shami’s main focus

Knowing that if his desire to play Test cricket for India could wreck his body and mean that he might not ever play for Team India in any format, Shami has decided to focus on two of the biggest white-ball tournaments coming up: the Champions Trophy 2025 and the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.

One can’t forget that Shami hasn’t been able to win an ICC trophy with the Indian cricket team. He’ll take the Champions Trophy extremely seriously and would want to give his all in what could be the last ICC event. As for the IPL, he missed the last season after being one of the best bowlers for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2023 and 2024. He’s been paid Rs 10 crore by the Sunrisers Hyderabad, and for a chance to play in the IPL for a few more years, he has to make a return in the 2025 season. 

“Shami is at the business end of his career. What if his knee acts up badly in Australia after a long spell? He will have to field on hard grounds. He missed the last IPL due to ankle surgery. This time, he has a hefty Rs 10 crore deal with SRH. You can’t blame him if he wants to preserve himself for white ball format for now,” the source added.