Shami conceded 48 runs from his four overs against his former side Gujarat Titans
Former India opener Aakash Chopra felt that the version of Mohammed Shami that is currently playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad is a far cry from the one India would want to have on their Test squad for the upcoming England series.
Shami was bought for INR 10 crore in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction and is SRH’s second costliest buy behind Ishan Kishan.
Fresh off a victorious Champions Trophy 2025 campaign where he claimed nine wickets from five matches, Shami has failed in the IPL. The 34-year-old has six wickets to his name after nine matches while leaking at 11 runs per over.
On Friday against his former side Gujarat Titans, Shami conceded 48 runs from his four overs which included being carted for five boundaries by opener Sai Sudharsan in the Powerplay.
Chopra pointed to the steep drop in Shami’s accuracy in the tournament which has been a huge problem for SRH as they stand on the brink of elimination from the playoffs race.
“This tournament is such that it doesn’t matter who you are. If you’re not delivering the goods, you will be taken to the cleaners. And right now, what I see with Shami is, pace down is one bit, second is not enough balls getting bowled in the same area,” Chopra told ESPNCricinfo’s Time Out.
Shami was sidelined for almost 10 months due to an ankle injury he suffered during the 2023 ODI World Cup that saw him also miss IPL 2024 and the 2024 T20 World Cup in West Indies.
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Chopra felt that Shami had recovered after the surgery, played domestic cricket as well as T20Is and ODIs for India before the IPL 2025 which is why the Indian team should be concerned.
“That’s a big question there, no, because it’s not like he came back from an injury last week or last month. He started playing domestic cricket last year and this is May already. He’s played an ICC event in between. He’s played a lot of games. If he’s still off the boil, and that has something to do with the injury – and we’re all assuming that it is – then there is a serious question mark with regards to what happens next,” Chopra said.
India have both Bumrah and Shami fit and available for the first time since the 2023 ODI World Cup but the latter’s poor form could see the selectors go with other pace bowlers.
“Of course, SRH form is one story. The other is the tour of England. All of us were harping about the fact that [at the] Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Bumrah was alone, there was no Shami, and if there was Shami how things would have been different. But will there be Shami [in England] is the question. And what kind of Shami?” Chopra said.
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