3 reasons why India must play Mohammed Shami for 2023 World Cup clash vs Afghanistan

Team India will shortly face Afghanistan in the group stage of the 2023 ODI World Cup at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. The Men in Blue began their campaign on a positive note by defeating heavyweights Australia by six wickets. The hosts are on the lookout to gain some momentum with a win over their Asian rivals.

Rohit Sharma and company, put in a near-faultless performance against the Aussies, but will look to make it two wins in two. The biggest challenge for the team, as the skipper himself has suggested in the build-up to the tournament, is the prospect of adapting to different conditions on offer on a quick basis.

After coming out on top in the spinning Chepauk wicket in the south, Team India traveled all the way to the opposite side to play their next encounter. Furthermore, the surface at the Arun Jaitley Stadium presents a different challenge to the one at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

The venue in Delhi delivered the highest match aggregate tally in ODI World Cup history when South Africa faced Sri Lanka recently. With that in mind, Team India may be keen on making a change to their playing XI and abiding by the 'horses for courses' strategy.

One such realistic option is the return of Mohammed Shami to the playing XI. On that note, let us take a look at three reasons why India must play Mohammed Shami for the 2023 World Cup clash vs Afghanistan.

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#1 Batting depth is not a priority against Afghanistan

The Men in Blue would ideally love to field the trio of Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj almost for every match at the World Cup. But the inclusion of three frontline pacers affects the batting depth severely. The format, as well as the World Cup so far, has illustrated how having batting options in the lower order proves to be beneficial.

Even in Team India's opening contest against Australia, they were reduced to 2-3 at one point. Had the target been slightly more steep, they would have required the assistance of batters below Hardik Pandya in the order as well.

However, the batting depth is unlikely to be a cause for concern against Afghanistan's bowling attack. While they do have capable bowlers in Fazalhaq Farooqi, Rashid Khan, and Mujeeb ur Rahman, the in-form Indian batting unit should be able to tackle them on a good surface without any hiccups.

Given that the batting unit is a ticked box, the priority becomes claiming all 10 wickets on such a pitch. Fielding the trio of Shami, Siraj, and Bumrah offers India the best chance of doing that, and as a result, it is a strategy that they need to consider.

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#2 Three spinners might be overkill in Delhi

Team India's decision to play three spinners - Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav - against Australia paid off as they spun a web around the batters on a turning wicket. However, Delhi, with its shorter boundaries and flatter pitch, proves to be a challenge for spinners.

In the sole contest played in the capital city so far in the World Cup, the spinners did not have a major say in the proceedings. Dunith Wellalage conceded 81 runs off his 10 overs while Dhananjaya de Silva conceded 36 runs off his four overs for Sri Lanka. South Africa, on the other hand, used only a solitary spinner in Keshav Maharaj, who conceded 62 runs in his 10-over spell but took two wickets.

Considering that, one could argue that there might not be a need to field three spinners in the playing XI. With Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav in fine form, it will be Ravichandran Ashwin who has to make way for a seamer.

In terms of seamers, Team India have options in Shardul Thakur and Mohammed Shami, and as mentioned before, with batting depth not really being the focus for this game, Shami emerges as the favorite over Thakur to make it to the playing XI.

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#3 Excellent record in Delhi

Mohammed Shami has showcased his experience and fine form in the limited opportunities he has availed in the recent past. The right-arm pacer picked up a five-wicket haul in Team India's win over Australia in the first ODI in Mohali and was also among the wickets in the side's Asia Cup 2023 campaign in Sri Lanka.

Furthermore, Shami has an excellent record at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. He bowled at the venue on a consistent basis during his Indian Premier League (IPL) stint with the Delhi Daredevils (now renamed to Delhi Capitals).

As far as internationals are concerned, he has played three ODIs at the venue, claiming seven wickets at an average of 16.57 and an economy rate of 4.22.

Will Mohammed Shami find a place in the playing XI in Team India's clash against Afghanistan in the ODI World Cup? Let us know what you think.