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'One format where Shami doesn't walk into the team straightaway': Chopra reveals his India pace attack for T20 World Cup
Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra spoke of India's pace unit for the upcoming T20 World Cup and presented his views on Mohammed Shami and his chances of selection at the tournament.
The 2021 T20 World Cup became a topic of hot discussion ever since the postponement of IPL 2021 was announced. Even though it was always going to take place in the final quarter of the year and in India, the buzz around it grew amid talks of change of host country due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Now that BCCI has announced the dates, pundits and cricketers have already started thinking of team combinations. The latest person to jump on the bandwagon is Aakash Chopra and with him, he brings bad news for Mohammed Shami.
According to former India opener Chopra, right-arm pacer Shami does not make for an automatic pick as a seamer for India at World T20. Even though Shami was the lone shining star during the recently-concluded WTC final against New Zealand, courtesy of his four-wicket haul in the first innings, Chopra feels he could be in the scheme of things should he perform against England.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra was asked if Mohammed Shami could replicate his performance in the WTC final at the T20 World Cup. He said: "Shami is not an automatic choice. You want him to be there. He did well for Kings XI Punjab in Dubai but he was just about okay for Punjab Kings here. He was coming back from injury and did not have the rhythm."
He further added: "If you talk about T20, it is the one format where Shami doesn't walk into the team straightaway. But if the player keeps on doing well, he will play the five Tests and then the IPL, if he is carrying forward that form, of course, why not."
Talking about one of India's most prolific bowlers in the shortest format, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Chopra said that he should be preferred over Shami.
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"Shami's T20 numbers are alright. They haven't been extraordinary ever. And because of that, he is not part of every T20 team as well. Especially if you see this team, you will put Bumrah in this T20 Team without any hesitation. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Deepak Chahar are ahead of him on this list or standing at par. Then there will be T Natarajan. You will want to consider him as soon as he is fit and available," explained Chopra.
The 43-year-old signed off by picking Shami at the fourth spot in his pecking order of Indian seamers for the T20 World Cup. Chopra pointed out:
"If I have to give my first three choices - Bumrah is No.1, Bhuvi is No.2, I am going with Deepak Chahar as No.3 and then I have got Shami at four. I have got Natarajan at five. But then Shardul Thakur is also there, there is actually a crowd - Siraj and Umesh are also there. But this will be my pecking order. Shami is there in my top four but he is not there in my first two. My first two will be Bumrah and Bhuvi and I will want to start with them only."
Shami hasn't played a lot of T20 cricket for the national side, picking 12 wickets in as many games. Moreover, he currently has an average of 9.80 runs per over.
