Mumbai Indians can target Mohammed Shami, who will be among the top options available during the IPL 2025 auction.
When the Gujarat Titans (GT) announced their retentions at the retention deadline, a major exclusion was pace sensation Mohammed Shami. He was their best sprinter in the previous cycle and played a vital role in GT’s success in the initial two seasons.
Despite not playing IPL 2024, Shami was their second leading wicket-taker, with 48 wickets at an average of 21.04 and a strike rate of 15.75 in 33 innings. He also took two four-wicket hauls and his experience with the new ball stood out.
Why did Gujarat Titans release Mohammed Shami?
The only valid reason for releasing Mohammed Shami was his fitness issues as the 34-year-old has not played competitive cricket since the 2023 World Cup. He has attempted multiple comebacks but setbacks have hampered his progress.
When the holds and releases were announced, there was uncertainty about his return, even though he has been working hard to regain full fitness. Therefore, GT had no choice but to release him.
Plus, they had better options that could be a long-term investment for the Titans, so they opted for stability over chaos. Shami has battled injuries in recent years and his fitness will continue to be a concern from now on as he is getting older, so GT made a wise decision.
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Why will Mumbai Indians (MI) chase Mohammed Shami?
Mumbai Indians (MI) retained Jasprit Bumrah but their biggest problem was that they couldn’t find an ideal partner for him. MI tried a few foreign players but failed to achieve sustained success, while the Indian pacers impressed at times but failed to maintain consistency.
Therefore, they can target Mohammed Shami, who will be among the best options available during the auction. His new ball skills will be lethal at the Wankhede Stadium where the speedsters get some early moves and Shami specializes in that.
Furthermore, MI often opt for experience in the pace department, as demonstrated by the inclusion of Jofra Archer and Chris Jordan in the previous cycle. Shami is a proven player and will perfectly complete MI’s pace department, making their attack the best in the competition.
What does Mohammed Shami offer in T20 cricket?
Lots of quality and experience. Shami can swing the new ball both ways and had 28 wickets at 21.25 runs each and an economy rate of 7.08 in the previous cycle.
Additionally, he has gained ample control over his yorkers and short deliveries, while also displaying some slower balls. Therefore, he is an all-phase bowler who can take wickets at any time, and his improved version made him a solid white-ball bowler.
He has extensive experience playing in the league; He has appeared on several teams before and knows how to operate in all conditions. Before the unfortunate injury, his white ball game was in the best possible condition and there is no doubt about its quality.
Mohammed Shami will be a popular pick in IPL 2025 auction
Despite a dismissal due to injury, Mohammed Shami remains a quality bowler with enough to offer. Several teams do not have a suitable pacer or only have one option in their team, and given how valuable Indian pacers are, most of them will target the ace pacer during the auction.
If we look at the options in the pool of players, not many have qualities close to Shami. Therefore, Shami’s value will automatically increase and he will fetch a huge sum in the IPL 2025 auction.
Indian pacers are arguably the most important members of an IPL XI as they provide stability and do the heavy lifting in the bowling department. Shami will therefore be a popular choice, especially after what he achieved with the Gujarat Titans and at the 2023 World Cup.
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