He has also been out of action for a considerable amount of time.
Former India cricketer-turned-pundit Aakash Chopra has recently opined that the Gujarat Titans (GT) franchise might not retain a star pacer owing to injury concerns ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) auction.
Talismanic India pacer Mohammed Shami missed the last season (IPL 2024) as he has yet to fully recover from the ankle injury he sustained during India’s runners-up finish at the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Echoing on the same lines Chopra opined that Shami, who was the Purple Cap winner in IPL 2023 with 28 wickets might not make the retention cut with the Gujarat-based franchise likely to retain only three capped players.
As per the new rules, each team is allowed to retain a maximum of six players, comprising RTM. A maximum of five capped players (Indian and overseas) and a maximum of two uncapped (Indians) players are allowed.
Chopra also pointed out that Shami hasn’t played for a long time and with age also not on his side, GT might not be willing to pay a huge sum for Shami. Instead, GT can opt to release Shami and sign the veteran seamer again for a lower price of around six to eight crores.
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In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Chopra suggested that Gujarat Titans should prioritize retaining Shubman Gill, Rashid Khan, and Sai Sudharsan as their top three choices. He also mentioned that the team should avoid retaining Mohammed Shami or any other capped player as their fourth retention option.
Speaking on GT’s retention strategy, Chopra said, “One will be a very straightforward retention that you have to keep Shubman Gill. The second is a no-brainer, that’s Rashid Khan. You should retain him as well. I feel Sai Sudharsan is the third player they should retain. If Sai Sudharsan goes to the market, he will take 8 to 10 crores for sure, and you will be able to retain him for 11 crores.”
“After that, they don’t have any other player who is worth 18 crores, who will be sold for 18 crores if you release them, whether it’s Kane Williamson, Mohammed Shami, David Miller, or any other name. I am saying this team might not retain Shami because of injury concerns,” the former India opener added.
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