Media365
NEW DELHI: Coach Gautam Gambhir stated on Wednesday that “world-class” Mohammed Shami and other fast bowlers will have an opportunity as a result of Jasprit Bumrah‘s absence from India’s Champions Trophy squad.
India’s hopes of winning the title were severely damaged after Bumrah was disqualified from the 50-over competition that begins February 19 in Pakistan and Dubai.
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In a perfect tune-up to the Champions Trophy, India, the top-ranked team in ODI cricket, crushed England by 142 runs in the final game to win the series 3-0.
However, following India’s victory in Ahmedabad, Bumrah‘s lower back ailment continued to be the topic of conversation.
“If he’s injured, he’s injured, whether it’s me, whether it’s the captain, we can’t do much about it,” Gambhir told reporters.
“Obviously, we know that he’s an important factor. But as I mentioned, people like Harshit (Rana), Arshdeep (Singh), Mohammed Shami, all these guys will put their hand up. It’s a great opportunity for them to try and deliver for the country.”
Pacer Harshit Rana made his ODI debut in the series and finished with six wickets in the three games.
Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh took two wickets in the last game’s lone appearance.
However, India’s spirits have been raised ahead of the eight-nation Champions Trophy by Shami’s comeback at the beginning of the white-ball series.
After taking a break after India’s 2023 World Cup final defeat to Australia, Shami, 34, recovered from a heel injury to play in the T20 matches for his country.
“Look, it’s always good to have a world-class bowler back,” said Gambhir.
“With his experience, with his quality, we all know what he can do with the ball in his hand.”
After being made to skip games, Shami came back with five wickets in T20 and ODI cricket, but he bowled for extended periods of time with accuracy and speed.
“Obviously, we were trying to manage his workload,” said the former India batsman. “That’s the reason why we played him two T20s and two one-dayers. Hopefully, he’s going to be fresh and ready to go in the Champions Trophy.”
India’s campaign starts on February 20 against Bangladesh, and three days later, they face their bitter rivals, Pakistan, in Dubai.
