IND vs ENG: Will Mohammed Shami play 5th T20I in Mumbai? Bowling coach Morne Morkel drops a hint

Mohammed Shami has played in only one of the four T20Is so far against England.

India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel has allayed concerns about Mohammed Shami’s fitness and hinted about his possible inclusion in the side for the fifth T20I against England.

There was a huge wave of elation and excitement among the fans when Shami was named in the India squad for the T20I series against Jos Buttler’s team. However, the speedster didn’t play in the first two games, leading to speculations that he may not be 100 percent fit yet.

Shami played in the third T20I in Rajkot, replacing the rested Arshdeep Singh and marking his return to international cricket since the World Cup 2023 final in November 2023.

He had an ordinary outing, bowling three wicketless overs and conceding 25 runs. India lost the match by 26 runs and Shami was replaced by Arshdeep Singh for the fourth T20I in Pune, which India won and sealed the series.

Morkel hints at Mohammed Shami’s return in the 5th T20I:

After the fourth T20I, Morkel spoke about Shami and said he was happy with the seamer’s performance in the nets. Morkel said Shami “probably” will feature in the fifth T20I, which will be played on Sunday in Mumbai.

“Shami has been been bowling really well. Catching to him at the warmups, he is hitting the glove hard. So, very happy how he’s coming along. He’s probably going to get an opportunity for the next game and we’ll see see how things go, but excited to have him back in the group, just for him to share his experience and his knowledge of training as a massive boost for this young bowling unit, so yeah, great to have show me back in the mix,” Morkel said.

With the series in the bank, India could rest the likes of Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya as both are part of the squad for the upcoming ODI series.

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