IND vs ENG: After how many days is Mohammed Shami playing international cricket?

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Mohammed Shami has been named in India’s playing XI for the third IND vs ENG T20I.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and chose to bowl first in the third game of the five-match IND vs ENG T20I series in Rajkot on January 28, Tuesday.
Leading the series 2-0, India made one change, with Mohammed Shami replacing Arshdeep Singh, who has been rested for the match.
India will look to approach the run chase more sensibly after their struggle in the second T20I in Chennai. Chasing the below par target of 166 runs, India were rescued by youngster Tilak Varma, who scored 72 off 55 balls to lead the team to a last-over win.
Indian spinners have been effective in the series, with Varun Chakravarthy leading the wicket charts, with five wickets to his name. India will hope for Shami to create the same impact as Arshdeep as they aim to seal the series in Rajkot.
After how many days is Mohammed Shami playing international cricket?
Shami’s inclusion in the Rajkot T20I will be his first international appearance since November 2023. The game will mark his first international presence after 436 days.
The Bengal pacer last played for India in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 final against Australia in Ahmedabad. Meanwhile, his last T20I was the semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20I World Cup 2022 against England in November 2022 in Adelaide.
Shami missed more than a year of cricket due to an ankle injury he suffered during the World Cup 2023. He was set to be part of India’s squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25, but was ruled out because of knee swelling.
The 34-year-old seamer has also been included in India’s Champions Trophy 2025 squad alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh in the fast-bowling unit. India will closely monitor Shami’s fitness in the upcoming T20Is as he is likely to partner with Arshdeep in the group-stage matches of the Champions Trophy.
Playing XI of both teams for Rajkot T20I:
India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Dhruv Jurel, Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Mohammed Shami, Ravi Bishnoi and Varun Chakravarthy.
England: Philip Salt (wk), Ben Duckett, Jos Buttler, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jamie Smith, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid and Mark Wood.
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