Mohammed Shami was India’s leading wicket-taker in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. Heading into the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, India is regarded as one of the strong favorites. The team arrives at the tournament on the back of a dominant 3-0 ODI series whitewash against England in February.
However, their chances have been impacted by the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, who has been ruled out due to a back injury. Despite being initially named in the provisional squad, Bumrah failed to recover in time, leading to his exclusion from the competition.
Former Indian pacer Laxmipathy Balaji has now pointed to a bowler who he believes can step up and lead India’s bowling attack in Bumrah’s absence.
Laxmipathy Balaji backs Mohammed Shami to carry India’s attack in Jasprit Bumrah’s absence
Speaking to PTI, former Indian pacer Balaji named Mohammed Shami as the leader of India’s attack for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. He highlighted that Shami had outperformed Jasprit Bumrah in the previous two 50-over World Cups.
Balaji stated, “In fact, Shami had out-bowled Bumrah in both the 2019 and 2023 World Cups. While Bumrah is a champion bowler across formats, Shami brings vast experience. Before Bumrah’s rise, Shami was the spearhead of India’s attack.”
The veteran pacer further emphasized that for India to succeed in the tournament, Shami’s role with the new ball would be crucial.
He added, “It’s very important for Shami to perform well with the new ball. The impact he can create in the first six overs will be vital for India’s chances. The old ball tends to be more defensive, but if Shami can make early breakthroughs regularly, it will give India a significant advantage.”
India will kick off their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign against Bangladesh on February 20. The team enters the tournament with three specialist pacers – Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, and Harshit Rana.