Gujarat Titans name replacement player for Mohammed Shami

Mohammed Shami’s absence is a massive blow for Gujarat Titans (GT), as he was their best pacer and has been in terrific form in white-ball cricket. Shami was pivotal in GT’s immense success in the initial two years of the Indian Premier League (IPL), helping them win the title in 2022 and come close to winning in 2023.

Since 2022, Shami has had 48 wickets at a terrific average of 21.04 and a strike rate of 15.75 in 33 IPL innings for Gujarat Titans. He also has two four-wicket hauls.

Shami underwent heel surgery on his Achilles tendon a few weeks back and is on his way to recovery. He hasn’t played any cricket since India’s heartbreaking defeat against Australia in the World Cup 2023.

Also Read: U-19 World Cup star replaces injured Sri Lankan pacer in Mumbai Indians

Some reports also suggested Shami took injections to play in the World Cup, where he was very successful for India, ending as the tournament's leading wicket-taker. He missed the entire South Africa tour and the five-match Test series against England with the same injury and won’t feature in IPL 2024, either, as he continues to recover after his surgery.

Gujarat Titans announce replacement player for Mohammed Shami

Gujarat Titans have finally announced the player replacing Mohammed Shami in IPL 2024. Sandeep Warrier has come in for the injured Shami for the upcoming season.

Warrier has featured in five IPL games and snared two wickets at 51 balls apiece. Previously, he has played for Kolkata Knight Riders in the cash-rich league.

Warrier has 63 wickets at an average of 28.04 and a strike rate of 23.49 in 72 T20 innings and has also played a solitary T20I for India in July 2021 against Sri Lanka in Colombo. He has joined Gujarat Titans at his base price of INR 50 Lakhs.

While he won’t be able to replace Mohammed Shami and his quality, Warrier is a quality fast bowler and will learn ample tricks under the prudent guidance of Ashish Nehra. Gujarat Titans will begin their campaign with a game against the five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) on March 24 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

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