BAN vs IND: Umran Malik replaces injured Mohammed Shami in ODI squad

Team India reached Bangladesh on December 2, Friday, for the upcoming three-match ODI series, which will be followed by two Test matches. India suffered a major blow ahead of the first ODI as senior pacer Mohammed Shami was ruled out of the white-ball series owing to a shoulder injury that he sustained while training for the tour.

As a result, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) named young speedster Umran Malik as his replacement in the squad. While Shami will head to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru for his rehabilitation, Malik will join the Indian squad in Mirpur, Bangladesh where the teams will play the first two ODIs.

With this injury, Shami’s availability for the two-match Test series that follows next is also doubtful. India will be handed a major blow if Shami misses out of the red-ball games. He is one of the key players in the team, and with India needing to win all their remaining Test matches, so as to make it to the World Test Championship finals, Shami’s experience is the need of the hour for India.

Malik earned his ODI debut cap in the recently concluded series against New Zealand and managed to pick up at least one wicket in the two games that he played. He conceded 66 runs in the first game while picking up two wickets, and registered 1/31 in five overs of his spell in the third ODI.

With all senior players being a part of the upcoming ODI series, he would be hoping to make the most out of the opportunity. India and Bangladesh lock horns for the first ODI at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in Mirpur on December 4, Sunday.

India’s updated squad for Bangladesh ODIs: Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul (VC), Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Shreyas Iyer, Rahul Tripathi, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Shahbaz Ahmed, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Siraj, Deepak Chahar, Kuldeep Sen, Umran Malik