Was Mohammed Shami not fit? Wasn't the whole idea of picking Shami for the England T20Is to give him match practice for the Champions Trophy?

Mohammed Shami was left out of India’s playing XI for the first T20 against England on Wednesday. While he was expected to make the playing XI on Wednesday, Abhishek Sharma said that it was the team management’s call given the conditions.

Shami’s omission from India’s playing XI in the first T20I sparked a debate across social media and news platforms.

Unruffled by the lingering fitness concerns surrounding Mohammed Shami, the well-oiled machine that is India's T20 team will be eyeing an encore of its opening game performance against a stunned England in the second game of a five-match series, on Saturday. ( 2nd T20I Key Battles | Full Coverage)

Mohammed Shami's return to India's T20 team was postponed as the team management decided he wasn't suitable for the Eden Gardens pitch conditions agai

The question remains whether problem of a swelling left knee after each rigorous session is still causing problems for the veteran pacer.

The 34-year-old is returning to the national team for the first time since the 2023 Cricket World Cup final after an extended period away from the game.

India has won the toss and elected to bowl first in the series-opening T20 against England’s cricketers in Kolkata