Mohammad Shami Makes Comeback as India Announces 15-Member Squad for T20I Series Against England

Mumbai, Jan 11 (NationPress) The Men’s Selection Committee has reinstated pacer Mohammad Shami and spinner Varun Chakravarthy while resting wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant in India’s 15-member squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against England starting from January 22 in Kolkata.

India's pace spearhead Mohammad Shami returns to the senior national team after recovering from an ankle injury that sidelined him for more than a year. Shami last played for the nation during the 2023 ODI World Cup final against Australia, where he was the leading wicket-taker in the tournament.

Shami made a successful return to professional cricket during Bengal’s fifth-round match in the Ranji Trophy against Madhya Pradesh at Indore, claiming seven wickets in his team's victory.

He also spearheaded the Bengal bowling attack in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, achieving nine wickets in 11 matches at an economy rate of 7.85, with his best figures being 3-21 against Hyderabad. However, he was unable to participate in the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy series due to a recurrence of his injury.

The selectors have also implemented some other significant changes.

Rishabh Pant has been rested, while Sanju Samson retains his spot in the squad after an impressive performance during India’s tour of South Africa, where he scored two centuries.

With Kuldeep Yadav still recovering from hernia surgery, Varun Chakravarthy, who excelled for India in its T20I series victories over Bangladesh and South Africa, has been selected following his outstanding performances in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he took 18 wickets, including consecutive five-wicket hauls, becoming the leading wicket-taker in the tournament.

Nitesh Kumar Reddy has also been included in the squad after showcasing impressive performances during the 2024-25 Border Gavaskar Trophy series.

India squad: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel (vc), Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammad Shami, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel (wk).