Currently, the Indian team is practicing very hard ahead of the T20I world cup. Rohit & Co. will play two warm-up matches against the hosting nation on 17th October and New Zealand on 19th October. These matches will tell us about Men in blue’s flaws and strengths and how long they will last in the mega event. Team India will open the T20 World Cup 2022 encounter against their arch-rival Pakistan on 23rd October.
The suspense of the 15th player is officially announced on Friday by selectors. Md. Shami has been named as Bumrah’s replacement. Previously, leading pacer Jasprit Bumrah reported stress back injury and missed the marquee tournament. However, Shami hasn’t played any match in the shortest format for a long time. He had played his last T20I match in the previous T20 World Cup. The selectors picked him to play the homes series against Australia and South Africa, but he tested COVID-19 positive, missed all the matches, and remained isolated. After getting fitness approval from NCA, he flew to Australia.
In the pre-tournament presentation that was attended by all the 16 nation captains. Speaking on Shami as the replacement of Bumrah, Rohit Sharma said injuries are part of the game, and we rely on our players.
“Injuries are part of the game. Nothing much can be done about it. If you play so many games, there will be an injury. Our focus is on improving bench strength. That’s why you saw that we give chances to youngsters. Shami was down with Covid 2-3 weeks ago. He was at his home, sitting on his farmhouse. Then we called him to NCA. He worked hard there,” said the Indian captain Rohit.
Also Read: T20 World Cup: Rohit Sharma Talks About The Playing XI
Talking about Shami’s fitness, he said he is fit and bowling 3-4 overs with total efficiency.
“He is in Brisbane now. The Indian team will reach Brisbane tomorrow. He will practice with the team. Shami is very positive, and his recovery has been good. He has done 3-4 bowling sessions with full intensity. Everything is going well with Shami. We have tried a lot to manage players, but unfortunately, injuries are part of the game. That’s why our focus was on preparing the bench. Injuries can happen anytime. We wanted to give chances to the young bowlers,” said Rohit.
