Mohammed Shami looked right up and raised his hand pointing towards the sky, thanking the almighty for allowing him to once again shine for India, while at one stage during his year-long recovery period, doubts had crept in about his return to international cricket. But his five-wicket haul in India's win over Bangladesh in their Champions Trophy opener on Thursday showed that the veteran pacer hasn't lost his wicket-taking abilities.
Shami's liking for the ICC tournaments, which saw him take 24 wickets in the 2023 ODI World Cup before getting injured, was on show at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, where his 5 for 53 set up India's win, before Shubman Gill took over with his 101 not out.