Mohammed Shami fitness update: During India's match against Pakistan in Champions Trophy 2025 on February 23, Mohammed Shami was seen in discomfort and had to leave the field briefly. His bowling performance was below par, raising concerns about his availability for India's third and final group stage match on Sunday vs. New Zealand.
Meanwhile, Shami's teammate Shreyas Iyer has provided a reassuring update on the veteran pacer's fitness.
Latest update on Mohammed Shami's fitness
Mohammed Shami appeared to struggle right from his opening over against Pakistan, showing signs of discomfort. The match was briefly halted as the physio attended to him, and he later left the field for a short period. Rohit Sharma also faced a minor hamstring issue and stepped out of play for some time.
After the match, Shreyas Iyer confirmed that both Shami and Rohit are fully fit and there is no reason for concern.
"I had a short conversation with both (Rohit and Shami) of them, and they seemed quite at ease with how things went. From what I know, there doesn't appear to be any problem," Shreyas Iyer said following IND vs PAK CT 2025 match.
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Following the 2023 ODI World Cup final, Shami was sidelined due to injury and made his comeback in the ODI and T20I series against England. He showcased his class with a five-wicket haul against Bangladesh in the Champions Trophy 2025. However, against Pakistan, he was expensive, conceding 43 runs in 8 overs without picking up a wicket.
With Shami declared fit, it remains to be seen whether India will continue with him or consider a strategic change in their playing XI against New Zealand.
India's Probable Playing XI vs New Zealand: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (Wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav.