Mohammed Shami was unhappy with Sanjay Manjrekar ridiculing his potential to fetch the highest price in the upcoming 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction. Shami, who remains one of India’s most in-demand players, criticized Manjrekar after he predicted a drop in the price of tempera at the IPL auction. While Manjrekar has no doubt that there will be a lot of teams in the auction after Shami, he doesn’t think the player will be able to fetch more than INR 6.25 crore as he got from Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2022 auction.
“Teams will definitely be interested, but given Shami’s injury history – and the recent injury required significant recovery time – there is always concern about a possible disruption during the season,” Sanjay Manjrekar told Star Sports.
“If a franchise makes a significant investment and then loses it mid-season, their options become limited. This concern could cause its price to fall.”
“All hail Baba Uuuuu. A little knowledge saved for your feet will also be helpful, Sanji J. If you want to know someone’s feet, the head is the way to go. (Save some wisdom for your future. If anyone wants to know their future, contact ‘baba ji’),” Shami wrote in an Instagram story, ridiculing Manjrekar.
Mohammed Shami’s Instagram Story. pic.twitter.com/PIruQ4oRcS
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) November 21, 2024
Shami recently returned to competitive cricket after a long break due to injury. After the 2023 ODI World Cup, where Shami was the leading wicket-taker, the fast bowler has been sidelined due to several injuries. Recently, he finally played a Ranji Trophy game for Bengal. The BCCI selectors were reportedly happy to see his progress in fitness. However, Shami has not been sent to Australia yet.
Shami registered a base price of Rs 2 crore for the IPL 2025 auction. He was selected by Gujarat Titans in 2022 for Rs 6.25 crore.
Earlier, as reported by news agency PTI, Mohammed Shami’s international comeback could happen in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but it could happen in the second half of the series. Those familiar with the developments said that the BCCI medical team and national selectors want Shami to play a few more competitive games in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy to see if his body can handle it after a few games, even if it is a format tournament white ball.
“The Bengal team for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy will be selected tomorrow. If Shami does not go to the Border Gavaskar Trophy, I believe he will be available for Bengal,” head coach Lakshmi Ratan Shukla told PTI.
It is understandable that the selection committee does not want to risk rushing the search for Shami after just one Ranji Trophy match after completing an extensive rehabilitation programme.
However, Shami, who appeared in a competitive match a year later, was impressive in his match for Bengal against Madhya Pradesh in Indore, returning with a seven-wicket haul, his team’s first win of the season.
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