Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has made a bold prediction about Mohammad Shami’s future in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Shami has been out of competitive cricket since last year’s ODI World Cup final. He had undergone surgery for an ankle injury in February this year.
The senior India pacer hopes to get fit ahead of the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy, scheduled to get underway from the third week of November.
Chopra feels Shami’s injury issues can also take a toll on his IPL career. The speedster picked up 28 wickets for Gujarat Titans last year to claim the purple cap. The franchise is yet to confirm the players they are going to retain ahead of the mega auction.
As per the new rules, each team is allowed to retain a maximum of six players, comprising the options of retention and the RTM.
According to Chopra, GT may not consider retaining Shami due to his fitness history.
The cricketer-turned-pundit feels Shubman Gill, Rashid Khan and Sai Sudharsan should be the priority for the former IPL champions.
“One will be a very straightforward retention that you have to keep Shubman Gill. The second is a no-brainer, that’s Rashid Khan. You should retain him as well. I feel Sai Sudharsan is the third player they should retain. If Sai Sudharsan goes to the market, he will take 8 to 10 crores for sure, and you will be able to retain him for 11 crores,” Aakash Chopra said while discussing the topic on his YouTube channel.
Chopra reckons GT may not willing to pay a huge sum for Shami due to the age factor too. Instead, they can release the 34-year-old ahead of the mega auction and again sign him at a lower price (Rs 6-8 crore).
“They don’t have any other player who is worth 18 crores, who will be sold for 18 crores if you release them, whether it’s Kane Williamson, Mohammed Shami, David Miller, or any other name. I think this team may not retain Shami because of injury concerns,” Chopra explained.
Recently, Shami denied reports he might end up missing the Australia tour.
It was reported that Shami had sustained a knee injury that might delay his return. The Indian cricketer rubbished those claims and called them “baseless rumours” in a social media post.
“I’m working hard and trying my level best to recover. Neither the BCCI nor I have mentioned that I am out of the Border Gavaskar series. I request the public to stop paying attention to such news from unofficial sources. Please stop and don’t spread such fake fake fake & fake news, especially without my statement,” Mohammad Shami had shared on X (formerly Twitter).
Shami has been called up to represent Bengal in the upcoming Ranji Trophy, scheduled to start on October 11. He will look to gain match fitness through the domestic red-ball competition.
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