Here’s the Reason Why Mohammed Shami is not playing Today’s 1st T20I Against England

Why is Mohammed Shami not playing today against England in the First T20I? India are locking horns with England for the First T20I of the five-match series at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. However, Mohammed Shami’s much-anticipated comeback to international cricket has been delayed. Find out why Mohammed Shami is missing from today’s T20I match against England

When Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav announced India’s squad, Mohammed Shami was among the ones to sit out. “Shami, Jurel, Washington, and Harshit sitting out.”, Suryakumar said at the time of the toss.  

Why is Mohammed Shami not playing today against England in the First T20I?

Mohammed Shami was expected to return in Indian colours after a hiatus of about 14 months. However, it seems like the pitch at Eden Garden may have delayed his comeback. 

The pitch at Eden Garden seems slow and is not likely to help the bowlers. It is expected to be a run fest. “The six-hitting festival starts today here at this iconic Eden Gardens Stadium. The average sixes hit in the last two years is 10 per innings in a T20 game. Dimensions – 59m and 66m square, straight down the ground is 75m. There’s a nice tinge of green, not overly green and I don’t think it’s going to do a whole lot but it’ll do enough. It’ll carry a little bit as well.”, commentator Deep Dasgupta said while doing the pitch report. 

Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav echoed the same sentiments at the time of the toss. “We will look to bowl first. The wicket looks sticky, there will be dew later on. It will be heavier later on. The boys have been amazing. The preparations have been good, looking forward to this series. It’s going to be great competition between both the sides.”, Surya said after winning the toss. 

Hence, Shami has been left out to prioritize batting depth in the Indian team. The team has decided to go with all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who recently did well on the Test tour to Australia. 

Will Nitish Kumar Reddy Be the Game Changer? 

Nitish Kumar Reddy made his T20I debut against Bangladesh last year. The all-rounder impressed everyone with his skills as he smashed 90 runs across 3 innings with a strike rate of 180. Nitish also managed to pick three wickets in the series. Seeing his potential, the selectors drafted him for the Border Gavaskar Series against Australia. 

Nitish impressed down under as well by scoring his maiden international century. Since Kolkata promises to be a run fest, the team has decided to go with him. He could be seen playing the role of the finisher against England during the first T20I. 

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