Veteran speedster Mohammed Shami has been selected in the Indian team for the T20 series against England. However, he was not included in the playing XI for the first match that India won comprehensively.

Shami did not feature in the match despite his strong recent performances in domestic cricket. Now, question mark has been raised over the fitness of Shami.

Meanwhile, Team India T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav shed light on the situation, revealing that the exclusion of Shami was purely a tactical decision.

SKY (as Suryakumar is popularly known) clarified that the decision to leave Shami out was made by the team management in light of the conditions at Eden Gardens. 

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“We wanted to stick to our strengths. We did the same thing when we played in South Africa. Hardik took the responsibility of bowling with the new ball, and I had a little bit of cushion to play that extra spinner,” said Suryakumar.

Notably, Shami’s omission from India’s playing XI in the first T20I sparked a debate across social media and news platforms. After a lengthy recovery from a serious ankle injury, Shami was expected to make it to the playing XI of the Indian team in the first T20I match against England.