After a 14-month break, star Indian pacer Mohammed Shami is set to return to the national squad. The Bengal quick has been putting in a lot of effort to get back to his previous level of fitness and form after playing for India in the 2023 ODI World Cup. The forthcoming T20I series against England will mark the start of Shami's comeback to the national side. The opening game is slated for January 22 at Eden Gardens, his home field. At the famous venue, the 32-year-old pacer was spotted bowling in the nets for nearly two hours.
Gautam Gambhir had lengthy chat with Hardik Pandya
In another development, Hardik Pandya and head coach Gautam Gambhir had a conversation on the team's vice-captaincy for 30 minutes on the field. According to sources, Gambhir wanted Hardik to join captain Suryakumar Yadav as deputy. Axar Patel, however, has already been chosen by the selection panel to serve as vice captain. It was observed that Gautam Gambhir and Hardik Pandya had an intense chat far from the team net. Additionally, he spoke with Sanju Samson separately.
There were also reports stating that Gambhir wanted Hardik to be India's vice-captain in the Champions Trophy and Sanju Samson to the wicket-keeper over Rishabh Pant. Now these chats have sparked more speculations about them.
Sitanshu Kotak present in the session
The newly appointed batting coach Sitangshu Kotak was also present during the first session in Eden Gardens, Kolkata. However, Shami was the centre of attention today. Shami was also added to the Champions Trophy 2025 team. Additionally, the team's management wants the veteran star to be part of the pace battery. Former South African pacer Morne Morkel, head coach Gautam Gambhir, and batting coach Sitangshu Kotak also looked after Shami's practice. The Bengal pacer's desire to get better was evident as he had a long conversation with Morkel.
Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson, Dhruv Jurel, Tilak Verma, and Nitish Kumar Reddy were spotted practising in the nets today as well. The Indian batters were seen hitting strong and lofted shots. Additionally, Gambhir and Abhishek Nayar discussed the pitch with Sujan Mukherjee, pitch curator of Eden Gardens. It had come to know from Sujan Mukherjee that the pitch would be high-scoring during the game. However, there were also some green areas in the pitch. Young pacer Arshdeep Singh, meanwhile, was absent from the practice session and missed the first day's activities. According to sources, Arshdeep is anticipated to join the team tonight and start practising tomorrow.
Reported by Anirban