Indian pacer Mohammed Shami will be seen playing for Gujarat Titans franchise in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Hardik Pandya-led franchise roped in Shami at the mega IPL auction for an amount of Rs 6.25 Crore.
Shami's T20I future
Shami has not represented the Indian team in the shortest format of the game in recent times and in a situation like this it is needless to mention that the right-arm pacer will surely want to show his supreme bowling skills in order to book his berth in the national team for the T20Is. And now, as per a Times of India report, Mohammed Shami's career in T20Is is all but over unless he produces a stellar show in the 15th edition of Indian Premier League.
“It’s difficult to sustain all-format bowlers for all conditions. Jasprit Bumrah is the only one who has excelled in all formats. This team management believes in presenting a clear picture to all the players. Shami will surely be spoken to,” a BCCI source was quoted as saying by TOI.
“His ODI career is much better placed. But this IPL will be a kind of trial for him to be considered for the T20 World Cup and he also understands it,” the source further added.
In international circuit
The source also admitted that “Shami is an invaluable asset in Test cricket.”
“With Shardul and Deepak, it helps in lengthening the batting line-up, which enables the top order to go hard from the word go. Shami is an invaluable asset in Test cricket. The team would want him fresh for every Test in the rest of the World Test Championship,” the source said.
The Gujarat Titans had drafted England spinner Rashid Khan and Indian batter Shubman Gill ahead of the mega IPL auction.
Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants are the two new teams to participate in the 15th edition of the IPL.
Gujarat Titans squad
Hardik Pandya (captain), Rashid Khan, Shubman Gill, Mohammed Shami, Lockie Ferguson, Abhinav Sadarangani, Rahul Tewatia, Noor Ahmed, Sai Kishore, Vijay Shankar, Jayant Yadav, Dominic Drakes, Darshan Nalkande, Yash Dayal, Alzarri Joseph, Pradeep Sangwan, David Miller, Wriddhiman Saha, Matthew Wade, Varun Aaron, B Sai Sudharshan
