IND vs ENG: Not injured! Abhishek Sharma reveals why Mohammed Shami was benched in 1st T20I

Mohammed Shami has been included in the Indian squad for the first time in over a year.

India defeated England in the opening match of the five-match T20I series in Kolkata, and took a 1-0 lead in the series.

The start of the match, however, had left Indian fans confused. Excited by Mohammed Shami‘s inclusion in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 squad, fans expected to see Shami in the Indian colours for the first time since November 2023. However, he was not included in India’s playing XI for the first T20I.

Shami’s road to recovery from an ankle injury has been full of challenges. The Indian speedster faced an injury relapse in September, struggling with swelling in his knee.

Indian opener Abhishek Sharma has now revealed why the veteran pacer was benched in Kolkata.

Abhishek Sharma reveals why Mohammed Shami was benched in first T20I vs England

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Abhishek revealed that the team management made the selection decision based on the pitch condition.

The Indian think tank opted for three spinners, with Arshdeep Singh as the sole frontline pacer, considering the tacky nature of the Eden Gardens wicket. Hardik Pandya and Nitish Reddy were included as supporting seam options in the lineup.

Abhishek said, “I feel it’s the decision of the team management and they thought it’s a better option keeping in mind of these conditions.”

Suryakumar Yadav on picking three spinners and excluding Shami

Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav explained that the team chose to stick to their strength of fielding three spinners, a strategy that had brought them success during the recent series in South Africa.

Suryakumar said, “We wanted to stick to our strengths: we did the same thing when we played in South Africa. Hardik took the responsibility of bowling with the new ball. So I had a little bit of cushion to play that extra spinner and all those three are doing a wonderful job.“

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