"Very happy he's coming along" - India bowling coach's massive update on Mohammed Shami ahead of IND vs ENG 2025 5th T20I

Team India bowling coach Morne Morkel provided a massive update on pacer Mohammed Shami ahead of the fifth and final T20I against England. Morkel, in a post-match press conference after the fourth T20I, dropped a hint regarding Shami's inclusion in the final match of the series.

He stated that everyone in the setup is excited to have Mohammed Shami back. Morkel claimed that Shami has been bowling well in the warm-ups and that he is happy to see him coming along. The South African added that the fast bowler is "probably" going to feature in Mumbai.

"Shami's been bowling really well, catching to him at warm-ups... so very happy he's coming along. He's probably going to get an opportunity in the next game, we'll see how things go, but excited to have him back in the group," Morkel said (via Hindustan Times).

India's bowling coach also spoke about how Mohammed Shami's presence in the team benefits the young bowlers in the side.

"Just for him to share his experience and his knowledge at training is a massive boost for this young bowling unit and for Indian cricket, so yeah, great to have Shami back in the mix," he added.

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Mohammed Shami has played only one out of the four T20Is in this series so far

Mohammed Shami returned to international cricket during the third T20I between India and England. The pacer bowled just three overs in the match and gave away 25 runs at an economy rate of 8.3, but did not pick up a wicket.

Shami did not play the first two matches of the series. After playing the third T20I, the veteran pacer was dropped for the fourth match as left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh returned to the side.

The team has preferred to go with Arshdeep in three out of the four matches. As Shami is part of the Champions Trophy squad, it was expected that he would be given more game time to regain his fitness and rhythm.

However, it appears as though the management is being extra careful with him. Notably, Shami is also a part of the ODI squad for the three-match series against England, which commences right after the conclusion of the T20I rubber.