Mohammed Shami takes three-fer, first international wicket in 14 months
What's the story
India's veteran fast bowler Mohammed Shami finally ended his year-long wait for an international wicket during the 5th and final T20I against England in Mumbai on Sunday.
Shami was the pick of India's bowlers as the hosts claimed a 150-run win over England. He took three wickets.
Notably, the Indian pacer's last international wicket came in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup final against Australia in Ahmedabad on November 19.
Comeback
Triumphant return to international cricket
Shami returned to India's squad in the 3rd T20I against England in Rajkot last week. It was his first international match after 14 months.
However, he failed to take any wickets, giving away 25 runs in three overs.
Despite the setback, Shami was handed another opportunity to prove his mettle in the final T20I in Mumbai on Sunday.
His removed Ben Duckett for a golden duck, which marked his much-awaited breakthrough.
Match highlights
Shami takes three wickets in Mumbai
Shami's next two dismissals in the Wankhede T20I came later on. He sent back Adil Rashid and Mark Wood off successive deliveries to end England's innings. He returned figures of 3/25 in 2.3 overs.
This helped India bowl England out for a mere 97 runs. Abhishek Sharma's blistering century earlier helped India post an impressive 247/9 after England captain Jos Buttler invited them to bat.
Notably, India won the five-match series 4-1.
Information
Shami races to 27 T20I wickets
Shami, who made his T20I debut in 2014, has featured in only 25 matches as of now. He has taken 27 wickets at an average of 28.18 (career-best figures of 3/15). Shami's form is crucial for India, going into the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
Rehabilitation
Journey through injury and recovery
Notably, Shami was out of action for over a year due to an ankle injury. He had to undergo surgery and a long rehabilitation at Bengaluru's National Cricket Academy.
The injury kept him out of last year's Indian Premier League (IPL), the T20 World Cup, and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under.
Shami then returned to India's domestic cricket before making his international comeback.