“It will cost India” – Fans react as Mohammed Shami named on standby list in T20I World Cup squad 

Mohammad Shami missed out on a place in the main squad after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday announced their squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.

The veteran seamer has been named on the standby list along with another promising swing bowler, Deepak Chahar. The national selection committee opted for Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, and Harshal Patel in the main squad.

Shami has not played a T20I since the 2021 T20 World Cup. He was widely missed by fans and experts in the recently concluded Asia Cup 2022.

Fans took to Twitter after the BCCI named him on the standby list for the ICC event. Here are some of the reactions:

India’s squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022: Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul (VC), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dinesh Karthik (WK), Hardik Pandya, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel and Arshdeep Singh.

Standby players - Mohammed Shami, Shreyas Iyer, Ravi Bishnoi, Deepak Chahar

“Mohammed Shami sitting at home baffles me”- Ravi Shastri

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri recently expressed his dissent as India overlooked Shami for the Asia Cup. He said the Gujarat Titans speedster should make a comeback to the T20I squad after an impressive IPL season.

Speaking to Star Sports, Shastri said:

“Someone like Mohammed Shami sitting at home baffles me after the IPL for him not making the cut.”

Shami scalped 20 wickets at an economy of 8 runs per over in the IPL 2022 for Champions GT in their debut season. He has, so far, picked up 99 wickets in 93 matches in the cash-rich IPL.

Interestingly, the right-arm seamer has failed to justify his performances in T20Is for the Men in Blue. He has scalped 18 wickets in 17 T20Is at an economy rate of 9.54.

However, he has been picked for the upcoming T20I series (three T20Is each) against Australia and South Africa.

He will look to shine in the upcoming matches to ensure India have a strong reserve speedster for the T20 World Cup in October and November.