IND vs ENG: Mohammed Shami Likely to Miss England Tour Due to Fitness Concerns, Arshdeep Singh in Contention - REPORTS

Experienced fast bowler Mohammed Shami will likely miss out on a place in India’s team for the upcoming Test series against England. India will play five Test matches in England, starting on June 20.

According to the Indian Express, the senior selection committee is likely to leave out top fast bowler Mohammed Shami from the upcoming England tour. The report also said that BCCI’s medical team told the board that the 34-year-old can’t bowl long spells. He is also unlikely to play all five Test matches. Earlier, Jasprit Bumrah had also told the board that his body can’t handle more than three Test matches.

“Shami is bowling four overs in IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad but the board and selectors don’t know whether he can bowl more than 10 overs in a day. Test matches in England may demand longer spells from the pacers and we can’t take chances,” a source said.

India Likely to Pick Arshdeep or Kamboj as Shami’s Replacement

Shami last played a Test match in the World Test Championship 2023 final between India and Australia at the Oval. He had ankle surgery in 2024, which kept him out of cricket for almost a year. He returned to play earlier this year for Bengal. Later, he was part of the Indian team that won the Champions Trophy 2025. Shami has been an important fast bowler for India in England for nearly ten years. In the last three England tours and two World Test Championship finals, he has taken 42 wickets in 14 Tests, with an average of 40.50. However, he has not yet taken a five-wicket haul in England.

Shami missed some important events for India, like last year’s T20 World Cup in Australia and the West Indies, and also the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. Left-arm fast bowler Arshdeep Singh or Anshul Kamboj is likely to replace him. Arshdeep could be a surprise pick, especially because he played county cricket for Kent last season.

According to some media reports, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will announce the India squad for the upcoming series on May 24 and Shubman Gill is likely to take over as captain from Rohit Sharma. This will be India’s first Test series after their 3-1 loss in Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, which ended their chances of reaching the World Test Championship final.

India vs England Test Series Schedule 2025

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