New Delhi, May 3
Former India opener Aakash Chopra believes that veteran pacer Mohammed Shami is not looking good right now in IPL 2025, adding that a big question mark appears over which version of him would turn up for the Test series against England, starting on June 20.
Shami didn't play IPL 2024 due to an achilles tendon surgery needed to solve his heel injury. But this season has seen Shami struggle to be at his best - picking just six wickets from nine matches at an average of 56.17 and an economy rate of 11.23.
His poor form extended to Sunrisers Hyderabad's 38-run loss to Gujarat Titans' (GT) in Ahmedabad, where he was hit for 48 runs in three overs. "This tournament is such that it doesn't matter who you are. If you're not delivering the goods, you will be taken to the cleaners, and right now, what I see with Shami is, pace down is one bit, second is not enough balls getting bowled in the same area."
"Mohammed Shami was always that. That is his only strength (and), it is phenomenal. Going back to that game against Pakistan (in the Champions Trophy), where he bowled five wides in the first over - okay that happened also 45 days ago or, maybe more, two months ago (on February 23)."
"So if he's still not able to get the ball right... because he's not someone who will get flicked for a six; you can drive him for a four, cut him maybe - he doesn't give you that much width by the way - but very seldom will he bowl those that you're flicking for a six and you're happy facing the (next) ball. So yeah, he's not looking good (right now)," said Chopra on ESPNcricinfo.
India's immediate assignment after IPL 2025 will be the Test tour of England, which marks the start of their new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. India haven't won a Test series in England after 2007, and Shami's poor run in IPL 2025 raises concerns over how would he fare in the upcoming series.
Shami averages 40.5 from the 14 Tests he's played in England so far. "That's a big question there, no, because it's not like he came back from an injury last week or last month. He started playing domestic cricket last year and this is May already."
"He's played an ICC event (Champions Trophy) in between. He's played a lot of games. If he's still off the boil, and that has something to do with the injury - and we're all assuming that it is - then there is a serious question mark with regards to what happens next."
"Of course, (SRH) is one story. The other is the tour of England. All of us were harping about the fact that (at the) Border-Gavaskar Trophy, (Jasprit) Bumrah was alone, there was no Shami, and if there was Shami how things would have been different. But will there be Shami (in England) is the question. And what kind of Shami?" concluded Chopra.
- IANS