IPL 2022 Likely To Act As A 'Trial' For Mohammed Shami To Be Considered For T20 World Cup - Reports

Indian pace bowler Mohammed Shami is not one of the first-choice pacers in the shortest format of the game. Depending on his performance in the upcoming IPL 2022 season, the selectors will consider him for the T20 World Cup this year in Australia, as per reports.

Shami hasn’t played a white-ball match for India since the T20 World Cup last year in the UAE. He has only played Test matches, indicating that he isn’t in the running to make it to the white-ball team on a consistent basis.

“It’s difficult to sustain all-format bowlers for all conditions. Jasprit Bumrah is the only one who has excelled in all formats. This team management believes in presenting a clear picture to all the players. Shami will surely be spoken to,” a BCCI source was quoted as saying to TOI.

“Mohammed Shami’s ODI career is much better placed” – BCCI source

Notably, Shami’s record in T20Is doesn’t inspire confidence. He has played 17 T20Is and has a terrible economy of 9.54. With players like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Deepak Chahar performing well, Shami will have to produce some magic of his own.

“His ODI career is much better placed. But this IPL will be a kind of trial for him to be considered for the T20 World Cup and he also understands it,” the source further mentioned.

“With Shardul and Deepak, it helps in lengthening the batting line-up, which enables the top order to go hard from the word go. Shami is an invaluable asset in Test cricket. The team would want him fresh for every Test in the rest of the World Test Championship,” the source concluded.

Shami garnered a lot of attention at the IPL 2022 mega auction before eventually going to Gujarat Titans (GT) for a winning bid of INR 6.25 crores.

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