"It's not a petrol engine, it's a diesel engine" - Aakash Chopra on Mohammed Shami potentially missing IND vs ENG 2025 2nd T20I

Former India player Aakash Chopra has expressed concern about Mohammed Shami potentially missing the second T20I against England. He pointed out that the veteran seamer hasn't played international cricket for over a year and would need game time to be ready for the 2025 Champions Trophy.

Shami wasn't part of India's playing XI in their seven-wicket win in the first T20I against England in Kolkata on Wednesday, January 22. It remains to be seen if the hosts change their winning combination and include him in the side for the second game in Chennai on Saturday, January 25.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener questioned Shami's absence and highlighted that the 34-year-old seamer would need overs under his belt.

"Where is Mohammed Shami? That is a big, big, big question. As per the reports I have read, he won't play here also. He didn't play the first match and might not play the second match. You are racing against time now because (Jasprit) Bumrah might play the last ODI and if these two T20Is pass for Mohammed Shami, only three games and the three ODIs will be left," he said (10:45).

"There is still some time but time is also running out. It is a slight dichotomy that time is there and not there also. It's there because six games are left if he doesn't play this one but it's not there because he hasn't played international cricket for 14-15 months. It takes time for a vehicle to get warmed up. It's not a petrol engine, it's a diesel engine. He is aged and is a fast bowler," Chopra added.

Shami last played for India in the 2023 ODI World Cup final. In a post-match interview after the first T20I, Arshdeep Singh mentioned that the Bengal seamer should be seen in action soon and is bowling like a 22-year-old in the nets.

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"The selectors and team management were right" - Aakash Chopra on Mohammed Shami's non-selection for BGT 2024-25

Mohammed Shami wasn't sent to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that the selectors and team management were right in not including Mohammed Shami in India's Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 squad.

"If you rewind the tape, a lot of questions were being asked when he wasn't going for the BGT, as to why he wasn't being played. Rohit (Sharma) wasn't able to answer them. He said the NCA (National Cricket Academy) should be asked about it, that they haven't got the fitness report, he is getting swelling, and all of that," he said.

"It's been one-and-a-half months since then. The selectors and team management were right because the guy is not ready at all. He is not ready even after playing in the Ranji Trophy, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy. If he is still not ready, how would he have been ready then?" Chopra added.

Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna were the five specialist seamers in India's BGT 2024-25 squad. Many cricket experts urged the selectors to add Shami to the squad, especially for the latter part of the series, but Ajit Agarkar and company did not exercise that option.