Indian pacer Mohammed Shami has hit-out at former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar over his valuation in the upcoming IPL 2025 Mega Auction.
Team India pacer Mohammed Shami is trying to find his way back into the national side after more than a year on the sidelines due to Achilles heel injury and the subsequent operation. Shami has been out of international cricket since the ODI World Cup 2023 on November 19 last year.
The Bengal pacer made comeback into competitive cricket last week, turning out for Bengal in the Rani Trophy 2024 match against Madhya Pradesh in Indore where he picked up 7 wickets. Shami was, however, not retained by Gujarat Titans ahead of the IPL 2025 Mega Auction which takes place in Jeddah on November 24 and 25.
With his recent display suggesting Shami had returned to his groove, the 34-year-old’s stocks were expected to rise in the mega auction in Jeddah on Sunday. However, former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar had a different take on Shami’s price tag. For him, Shami’s injury concerns and the possibility of a breakdown during the season could lead to a dip.
“There will definitely be interest from teams, but given Shami’s injury history – and this recent one took a significant amount of time to recover – there’s always a concern about a potential breakdown during the season. If a franchise invests heavily and then loses him mid-season, their options become limited. This concern might lead to a drop in his price tag,” Manjrekar recently said on Star Sports.
Shami took a dig at Manjrekar and offered a suggestion of saving his knowledge for his future, and wrote on Instagram, “Baba ki jai ho. Thodsa gyan apne future k lie bhi bacha lo kaam ayega Sanjay G? Kisi ko future janna ho to sir se mile (Save some knowledge for your future. It will be useful. If anybody wants to know their future meet him).”
Mohammed Shami’s Instagram story on Sanjay Manjrekar’s statement about the price tag for IPL 2025 ⚡ pic.twitter.com/04fCmsoK7U
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) November 21, 2024
In the IPL 2023, Shami was dominant by claiming 28 wickets from 17 matches at an economy rate of 8.04. His exploits with the white-ball remained unmatched throughout the season.
He ended the season as the leading wicket-taker and won the purple cap ahead of Rashid Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh and other star players. As of now, Shami will continue to feature in the domestic circuit after he was named in Bengal’s squad for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
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