Mohammed Shami RESTED! Ex-England pacer suggests change in India’s Playing XI for IND vs NZ Champions Trophy clash

Darren suggests Shami to be rested for IND v NZ Champions Trophy clash

The Indian team has already qualified for the semi-final of the Champions Trophy 2025 as they won their first two matches of the tournament against Bangladesh and Pakistan. The Men in Blue will now face New Zealand in their final clash of Group A, where India will aim to win in order to top the group.

Former England pacer Darren Gough suggested India to take a massive chance in the playing XI, which has to do with Mohammed Shami. Shami suffered a knock on his ankle after bowling the first three overs in the match against Pakistan. He was taken off the field without any delay, but came later and looked in better rhythm.

In an interaction with Hindustan Times, Darren stated that Indian team should rest Mohammed Shami for the clash against New Zealand. He suggested that the Men in Blue should bring in another spinner instead. He also stated that Hardik Pandya cam fulfil the role of the second seamer.

“They probably should rest him (Shami). They’ve got the confidence against Pakistan. When you’ve got a batting lineup like that, you can afford to bring someone else in; bring another spinner in Dubai. The pitch is not as flat as in Lahore, so you can bring another spinner. We saw Hardik Pandya bowling brilliantly, so I would expect India to rest him (Shami),” Gough said.

After the clash between New Zealand and Bangladesh ended with the Black Caps winning, Pakistan team is now out of the tournament. This is the first time in the history of ICC tournament, where the team from the hosting nation has been knocked out from the tournament.