Team India will take on Australia in their first practice match of the T20 World Cup at the Gabba in Brisbane. With Jasprit Bumrah out injured due to a back issue, the Board of Control for Cricket in India named Mohammed Shami in the squad to replace the star pacer. Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur, on the other hand, were added to the reserves list. Shami, who joined the Indian team ahead of the first warm-up game, was seen bowling in the nets. He even cleaned up Dinesh Karthik, who was looking in good touch in the nets in Brisbane.
Shami, who hasn't played many white-ball games since the T20 World Cup last year, will look to get back up to speed before India kick off their T20 World Cup campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan in Melbourne, next Sunday.
Shami was supposed to play in the six T20Is at home against Australia and South Africa but tested positive for CIVID-19 and had to remain in isolation. On return he had to prove his fitness before NCA approved his trip to Australia.
India have already played two practice matches after arriving Down Under, both against Western Australia.
They won the first game and lost the second one.
India squad for ICC T20 World Cup: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, R. Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami.