New Delhi: Lucknow Supergiants bowling coach Bharat Arun Stands near the stumps and throws the ball to the veteran. Muhammad Shami. The veteran caught the ball, took his run-up, breathed fire, and did what he does best – destroy the stumps with deadly yorkers.Shami is now 35 years old, and his last appearance for India was during the 2025 Champions Trophy. But the hunger for a comeback was evident in his bowling. He hit the stumps repeatedly and rattled them with his yorkers during the nets.Actually, the head coach of Lucknow Supergiants after the net session Justin Langer Shami had a special mention in the team huddle.“Your yorker… that yorker… is breathtaking,” Langer can be heard saying in a video posted by Lucknow Supergiants.Irwin shaped India’s fast bowling unit for a long time during his tenure as bowling coach. During his tenure, India won memorable Tests, especially in overseas conditions, and Shami was one of the key players in those victories.
“Shami and I have a special bond, and we’ve been together in the Indian team for seven years. I knew Shami before that, and because of that, our bond is even stronger. For me, working with Shami, I know what he brings to the table – he’s probably one of the best and the best bowlers in world cricket today. It’s exciting for me to work with Shami again.”On paper, LSG’s pace attack looks strong with Shami, Enrich Noortje, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan, Arjun Tendulkar, Naman Tiwary, Prince Yadav, and Akash Singh.Most of the bowlers are recovering from injuries and coming into the team.Asked about handling the workload, Irwin said: “I know most of them are coming off injuries, and that’s why we had a pre-season camp about a month before the gathering in Lucknow, and that was to gauge where they were at that time. Handling the fast bowling workload is not just my job – it’s the three of us together — the physiotherapist, the strength and conditioning specialist and me.”“It’s a combination of experience. If you look at Noortjay and Shami, they bring a lot of experience. Prince has done a great job. Avish and Mohsin are all exciting talents, while Naman, Akash and Arjun are too,” he said.“So if you look at the whole pace bowling set-up, it’s very, very healthy, and everyone is unique and different, and so, how quickly we can adapt them to what the team wants and get the best out of them will be the biggest challenge.” He added.LSG will begin their IPL 2026 campaign on April 1 against Delhi Capitals at the Ekna Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
