T20 World Cup 2022: “He was sitting at his farm, and then we called him to NCA” - Rohit Sharma sheds light on Mohammed Shami’s preparations

Team India captain Rohit Sharma has stated that veteran pacer Mohammed Shami worked hard at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) to prepare himself for the T20 World Cup. He also asserted that the fast bowler has recovered well from COVID-19.

On Friday, October 14, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officially named Shami as Jasprit Bumrah’s replacement in Team India’s 15-member T20 World Cup squad. Shami missed the white-ball series against Australia and South Africa at home after testing positive for COVID-19.

Having recovered from the virus, he headed to the NCA. Despite not having played a T20I since the T20 World Cup last year, Shami was picked as Bumrah’s replacement owing to his experience.

Asked about the fast bowler’s preparations, Rohit said at a press conference organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC):

“As far as Shami is concerned, he caught COVID two to three weeks back, so he was at home. He was sitting at his farm, and then we called him to NCA. He worked hard there for the last 10 days. He is in Brisbane now. The Indian team will reach Brisbane from Perth tomorrow. He will practice with the team.

“The news about Shami so far is very positive. His recovery from COVID-19 has been good. He has done three to four bowling sessions with full intensity. All in all, everything seems good with Shami.”

While Shami has played 60 Tests and 82 ODIs, he has only featured in 17 T20Is. The 32-year-old has claimed 18 wickets in the shortest format for India at an average of 31.55 and an economy rate of 9.54.

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“Our focus is on improving our bench strength” - Rohit Sharma on Team India’s injury woes

During the media interaction, Rohit also opened up about Team India’s injury problems. He explained that since they cannot do anything about fitness issues, they are focusing on improving their bench strength.

The 35-year-old stated:

“Injuries are part of the game. Nothing much can be done about it. If you play so many games, there will be injuries. Hence, our focus is on improving our bench strength. That's why that we have given chances to youngsters, as you may have seen.”

India go into the T20 World Cup without the services of Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja. While the fast bowler has been ruled out due to a back injury, the all-rounder is recuperating after undergoing knee surgery.