Mohammed Shami has returned to the Indian cricket team for the T20 series against England starting on January 22. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the team on Saturday. Dhruv Jurel has been selected as the second wicketkeeper in place of Rishabh Pant. The first match of the five-match series will be played in Kolkata. All-rounder Axar Patel has been named the vice-captain of the team. Shami, who last played for India in the 2023 ODI World Cup final, is recovering from an ankle injury.
After regaining fitness, he played domestic tournaments like Ranji Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy, but missed the Australia tour due to knee swelling. The selectors chose Dhruv Jurel in place of Jitesh Sharma as the backup wicketkeeper, while Pant, a member of the T20 World Cup-winning team, has been left out for the time being. Nitish Reddy has replaced Shivam Dubey in the team. Spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), has not been included, and a decision on his availability for the ODIs will be taken later. Jasprit Bumrah has been rested due to injury concerns.
