Was Mohammed Shami not fit? Wasn't the whole idea of picking Shami for the England T20Is to give him match practice for the Champions Trophy?

India left out Mohammed Shami for the first of the five-match T20I series against England on Wednesday, January 22. In a surprising move, the fast bowler was not named in the XI, dampening the hype around a much-awaited return for the senior speedster.

Indian pacer Mohammed Shami is set to return to the national fold with the three-match T20I series against England, for the first time since the World Cup 2023 final. Shami had a lengthy first session with the Indian team in 14 months as he bowled his heart out.

The 34-year-old is returning to the national team for the first time since the 2023 Cricket World Cup final after an extended period away from the game.

In a blow to the Indian cricket team, fast bowler Mohammed Shami was left out of the Playing XI for the first match of the five-game T20I series against England being held at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. The decision has dampened hopes of Shami's much-awaited return to international cricket.

Chennai: Unruffled by the lingering fitness concerns surrounding Mohammed Shami, the well-oiled machine that is India's T20 team will be eyeing an encore of its opening game performance against

India won the toss and chose to bowl first in the series-opening T20 against England's cricketers in Kolkata on Wednesday. Mohammed Shami missed out for India despite the fast bowler being available after more than a year on the sidelines.