Rohit, Shami back in squad

NEW DELHI : Giving proven performers the mantle to defend the title, India today announced a 15-member squad for the Champions Trophy, to be played in England from June 1 to 18. India, who had won the trophy in 2013 by defeating England, have recalled opener Rohit Sharma and pacer Mohammed Shami for the eight-nation tournament after the two recovered from injuries.
At the selection committee meeting here, the national selectors went with the idea of picking a conventional team, not giving much importance to the performances in the ongoing IPL. The selectors discussed the names of Rishabh Pant, Suresh Raina, Shardul Thakur, Dinesh Karthik and Kuldeep Yadav, but chose to put them on standby in case a replacement is required later. MSK Prasad, chairman of the selection committee, told mediapersons that these five names were discussed, owing largely to their form in the domestic season and not just the IPL.
However, there was no place for Gautam Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh and Ashish Nehra in the squad. The Virat Kohli-led squad largely consisted of names who had last played an ODI series against England at home in January. “It’s the most balanced team we could have picked, a mix of seniors and youngsters. There were many challenges in picking a squad for the England tour but we think this is the best one. The team has been selected keeping in mind the post Champions Trophy season where India will be playing ODIs,” Prasad said. Sharma and Shami’s place was never in doubt once they recovered from injuries and proved their fitness during the ongoing IPL season. While Sharma recuperated from a thigh surgery after spending five months on the sidelines, Shami recovered from a knee injury.
Shami back after 2 years
Shami had last played an ODI in March 2015 — the semifinal against Australia in the ICC 50-over World Cup. Since then, he had been troubled by a recurring knee problem. During India’s marathon home Test season, the 27-year-old speedster again broke down, complaining of soreness in his right knee, after playing the third Test against England at Mohali. After undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy, he returned to play two Vijay Hazare Trophy games for Bengal and, more recently, five IPL games for Delhi Daredevils.