Seasoned pacer’s form a concern for India as England tour nears

With the high-profile tour of England on the horizon, India will be boosted with veteran quick Mohammed Shami back in the mix.

Shami, who had been out of action for over a year’s time following the 2023 Men’s Cricket World Cup owing to a knee injury, had returned back in Indian colours at the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy.

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As India wrapped up an unbeaten campaign to seal the title, Shami finished with nine wickets under his belt. However, the 34-year-old’s recent form in the ongoing IPL 2025 season will give India a cause to worry for the tour of England, believes former India opener Aakash Chopra.

"He's not looking good," Chopra told ESPN Cricinfo, elaborating on how the right-arm quick hasn’t been able to make an impact since his return to competitive cricket.

"That's a big question there, no, because it's not like he came back from an injury last week or last month. He started playing domestic cricket last year and this is May already.

“He's played an ICC event [Champions Trophy] in between. He's played a lot of games. If he's still off the boil, and that has something to do with the injury - and we're all assuming that it is - then there is a serious question mark with regards to what happens next.”

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From his nine outings in the ongoing IPL season, Shami has only notched six wickets, averaging 56.16 at an economy rate of 11.23.

On how his lean patch impacts India, Chopra added, “All of us were harping about the fact that [at the] Border-Gavaskar Trophy, [Jasprit] Bumrah was alone, there was no Shami, and if there was Shami how things would have been different. But will there be Shami [in England] is the question. And what kind of Shami?”

Another big name who is expected to make a return during the England Tests is pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who had sustained a back injury during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year and missed out on India's Champions Trophy assignment but has since returned in the IPL.

The pace spearhead, who was named ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year for 2024 and the Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year, had finished as the leading wicket-taker in the five-Test series Down Under - snapping an astonishing 32 scalps. Bumrah has picked 11 scalps from his seven games for Mumbai Indians in the league.

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India will also be bolstered by the presence of Mohammed Siraj, who is among the leading wicket-takers in the IPL this season - 14 dismissals from 10 outings.

India also have multiple other avenues to choose from with the likes of Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana having featured in their last assignment in Australia.

Shastri's surprise picks for the England tour

In the latest edition of The ICC Review, former India head coach Ravi Shastri had also pointed out a couple of left-field picks in left-arm seamers Arshdeep Singh and Khaleel Ahmed.

India will square off against England in the first Test starting June 20 in Headingley.