Mohammad Shami Gets Injured By A Directed Throw In IND vs NZ Champions Trophy 2025

A nail-biting incident occurred with Mohammad Shami right when New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner fumbled a throw thrice at the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025 Group A IND vs NZ match between New Zealand and India, where Indian speedster Mohammad Shami was hit during the course of play. This made it the talk of the tournament conjecturing whether the player had thrown it on purpose or not.

The punch left Shami in visible pain, adding to his existing injury troubles. The incident happened in the last over of India’s innings, when they were finishing up their batting.

Shami’s Continued Fitness Issues

Mohammad Shami has been having fitness concerns for quite some time now. The pace bowler had been out of action for a long time owing to a foot issue. His fitness concerns trailed into this game as well, where he had already had an ankle concern in the match against Pakistan. Shami’s bad luck did not let up as he was struck by a straight throw from Mitchell Santner while batting against New Zealand.

The Incident: Santner’s Throw Strikes Shami

The incident occurred in the last over of India’s innings. Shami was on strike and played the fifth ball to the deep, choosing to take two runs. When he was running for the second run, Santner threw a direct throw, which hit Shami on his back when he was well away from the wicket. Santner’s throw looked out of place, given how far away Shami was from the stumps, and was questioned as to whether it was deliberate.

Shami was visibly agitated and in pain immediately after being struck. The Indian physio hastened onto the field to assess his condition, further fueling speculation about the pacer’s fitness. Although the true motives behind the throw are still uncertain, the incident was certainly suspicious, with the direction and strength of the throw appearing unusually accurate.

The Location of the Hit

Shami was hit on his right upper back by Santner’s throw, which went away from the stumps, leading to conjectures that Santner had his sights set on Shami. Shami’s positioning on the field at the time of the throw and Santner’s timing raised suspicions that this was more than a simple misfire; it was a concerted effort to either remove or distract the bowler. This unusual incident lent a tincture of controversy to a highly charged game.

India’s Batting Performance in IND vs NZ

India did reasonably well for the overs they were allotted, notwithstanding the Shami incident. Batting first, India made 249 runs with nine wickets down. Shreyas Iyer made the highest score with a fine innings of 79.

While Hardik Pandya, the all-rounder, chipped in with 45 and Axar Patel contributed with a useful 42, it was the bowling of Matt Henry that overshadowed their innings as he took five wickets and stunted India’s total.

The Match Context: A Fateful Meeting

In the fixture of the India vs New Zealand match, the winning team would have a glimpse of being the group leader in ‘A’ and would play Australia in the semi-finals.

The losing team would have to play South Africa in the next round. With 250 as an impregnable target, New Zealand had their task cut out to chase down India’s score. Shami was spearheading the bowling effort, and an army of sensational spinners stood behind him to defend the total, while troublesome fitness issues with Shami and the charged atmosphere of the match added to the woes.

Shami’s Significance to the Indian Team

Mohammad Shami’s contributions to the Indian lineup cannot be overstated: he was the only fast bowler for India in this match, while the remaining bowlers would be spinners. India needs him fit and available for any contest against the world’s best teams, such as New Zealand. The unfortunate incident in the match did raise fears that he may not participate in the rest of the tournament and how that might affect India’s plan for bowling in the future.

A Heated Encounter

The altercation in which Mitchell Santner hurled his throw at Mohammad Shami provided a shocking turn to the match.

It was intentional or not, it brought focus back to the chronic fitness woes of Shami, and the high tension surrounding the match served only to make things more dramatic. India’s win in this match would decide their way to the semi-finals, and though the unfortunate injury to Shami, the combined effort of the team in batting and bowling would be the decisive factor in their victory.

In the case of Shami, his fitness and recovery will be watched with interest, and his health will be the key to India’s matches in the Champions Trophy ahead.

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