Mohammed Shami Set To Return Against Pakistan In ODIs After A Decade

Indian pacer Mohammed Shami will play an ODI against Pakistan after a long gap of ten years. The last time Shami featured against the arch-rivals in the 50-over format was in 2015. He has five wickets in three matches, and his best against Pakistan is 4/35 and has an average of 21.40. Shami's return from injury has been nothing short of a fairy tale, as he made an emphatic comeback in an ICC event, picking up 5/53 against Bangladesh and completing 200 ODI wickets.

His resurgence followed an extensive rehabilitation period, where he toiled in domestic cricket across different formats for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Throughout his career, Shami has been plagued by injuries but has consistently made strong comebacks. During the 2015 World Cup, he played through painkiller injections and finished as the fourth-highest wicket-taker, with 17 wickets in seven matches.

However, injuries prevented him from playing in the 2017 Champions Trophy, and between the 2015 World Cup and the start of 2019, he managed to play only five ODIs.

Despite these setbacks, Shami delivered a remarkable performance in the 2019 World Cup, where he claimed 14 wickets in four matches at an average of around 13. Four years later, in the 2023 edition, he topped the wicket-taking charts with 24 scalps in seven matches at a staggering average of 10.70.

However, this outstanding run ended in heartbreak as he suffered an ankle injury, leading to a lengthy rehabilitation phase. During this period, he struggled with fitness and self-doubt but ultimately made a triumphant return in Dubai, breaking records and reclaiming his place in the Indian squad.

Shami's international return came against England in T20Is