Mohammed Shami demonstrates peak fitness in preparation for Champions Trophy with impressive performances in Vijay Hazare Trophy

During India's five-Test tour of Australia, the absence of Mohammed Shami was keenly felt, with fans eagerly anticipating his return to form for the upcoming 2025 Champions Trophy. Shami, determined to make a comeback, is putting in the hard work to prove he is fit and ready to excel in international cricket once again.

Shami took three wickets to finish as Bengal's highest wicket-taker in their Vijay Hazare Trophy knockout match against Haryana in Vadodara. Moreover, he bowled his full quota of 10 overs the match, the first time he has done so in this year's tournament. Shami had recorded figures of 1/40 and 1/28 in his last two matches against Madhya Pradesh and Bihar, respectively. He had bowled eight overs in both matches.

Half-centuries from Path Vats and Nishant Sindhu helped Haryana set up a score of 289/9 batting first. Shami got the wickets of opener Humansu Rana, wicketkeeper Dinesh Bana and Anshul Kamboj.

Shami's injury saga

Shami had initially been widely expected to join the Indian team in Australia for at least the last two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, if not earlier. He had bowled 43 overs in the Ranji Trophy match for Bengal against Madhya Pradesh in November. He then played in all nine games of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India later stating that he had also engaged in additional bowling sessions on the sidelines to build his bowling volume in order to get ready for the Test matches in Australia.

The 34-year-old then sat out Bengal's first match of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, with India captain Rohit Sharma saying in Brisbane that Shami was being troubled by swelling in his knee. The BCCI eventually announced that Shami won't be playing any role in the series due to the swelling.

It remains to be seen whether Shami will be picked for India's upcoming T20I and ODI series against England and the Champions Trophy that comes later. He hasn't played international cricket since the final of the 2023 World Cup on November 19. Shami's last Test was the 2023 WTC Final, which means he missed the entirety of India's 2023/25 WTC cycle. The team's stunning home whitewash to New Zealand and their 3-1 loss in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy meant that the 2025 WTC Final will be the first to not feature India.

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