Reports | Mohammed Shami's T20I future to be decided on his IPL 2022 performance

Reports | Mohammed Shami's T20I future to be decided on his IPL 2022 performance

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Mohammed Shami's T20I future to be decided on his IPL 2022 performance

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As per a report by Times of India, Mohammed Shami would need to have an impressive IPL with the Gujarat Titans in the 2022 season to remain in India’s plans for the 2022 T20 World Cup. The report has also suggested that the BCCI selection committee is looking for more specialist bowlers in T20s. 

It's been a while since Mohammed Shami represented India in the T20I cricket. Though the BCCI selectors have been putting a 'rested' label on Shami's absence from the shortest format, as per a report filed by Times of India, it does look like the mentality among selectors is to proceed with specialist bowlers going forward.

The TOI report suggested that Mohammed Shami's career in T20Is seems all but over unless he goes on to do something spectacular in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season, starting from March 26. Shami was bought by Gujarat Titans for INR 6.25 crore in the IPL 2022 auction after having a reasonable campaign with Punjab Kings.

Still, many do not consider Shami as a specialist bowler in T20 cricket, and his expensive economy rate of 9.54 in T20 internationals explains why. Even in T20s overall, Shami has not been an asset to his teams so far in containing the flow of runs.

“It’s difficult to sustain all-format bowlers for all conditions. Jasprit Bumrah is the only one who has excelled in all formats. This team management believes in presenting a clear picture to all the players. Shami will surely be spoken to,” a BCCI source told TOI.

“His ODI career is much better placed. But this IPL will be a kind of trial for him to be considered for the T20 World Cup and he also understands it,” the source further was quoted as saying by TOI.

While Jasprit Bumrah has established himself as the leader of India's pace attack across formats, the likes of Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Mohammed Siraj, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Prasidh Krishna, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are competing for the remaining two spots in the pace unit alongside Shami.

“With Shardul and Deepak, it helps in lengthening the batting line-up, which enables the top order to go hard from the word go. Shami is an invaluable asset in Test cricket. The team would want him fresh for every Test in the rest of the World Test Championship,” the source signed off.

Shami has not featured for India since the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE. He was sidelined in India’s both T20I series against West Indies and Sri Lanka. If Shami does not manage to impress in the IPL 2022 while playing for Gujarat, his hopes of featuring for India in the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia might suffer an early blow.

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