NEW DELHI: Lucknow Super Giants bowling coach Bharat Arun stood close to the stumps and threw the ball to the experienced Mohammed Shami. The veteran grabbed the ball, took his run-up, breathed fire, and did what he does best – destroyed the stumps with lethal yorkers.Shami is now 35, and his last appearance for India came 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.In fact, after the net session, Lucknow Super Giants head coach Justin Langer had a special mention for Shami in the team huddle.“Your yorker… that yorker.. is breathtaking,” Langer can be heard saying in a video posted by Lucknow Super Giants.Arun shaped India’s fast-bowling unit for a long time during his tenure as bowling coach. Under his stint, India achieved memorable Test wins, especially in overseas conditions, and Shami was one of the vital cogs in those victories.
“Shami and I share a special bond, and we’ve been together in the Indian team for seven years. I knew Shami even before that, and so that has only strengthened our bond. For me, working with Shami, I know what he brings to the table – he’s probably one of the best and better bowlers in world cricket today. It’s very exciting for me to be working with Shami again,” Arun told IANS.On paper, LSG’s pace attack looks strong with Shami, Anrich Nortje, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan, Arjun Tendulkar, Naman Tiwari, Prince Yadav, and Akash Singh.Most of the bowlers are coming into the side after recovering from injuries.On being asked about managing workloads, Arun said: “I know that most of them are all coming from injuries, and that’s why we had a pre-season camp about a month before we assembled in Lucknow, and that was to assess where they were at that point in time. Managing the fast-bowling workload is not only my job – it’s also three of us together — the physiotherapist, the strength and conditioning expert, and myself.”“It’s a combination of experience. If you look at Nortje and Shami, they bring in a lot of experience. Prince has done extremely well. Avesh and Mohsin are all exciting talents, while Naman, Akash, and Arjun are also there,” he said.“So if you look at the entire pace bowling setup, it’s very, very healthy, and each one is unique and different, and thereby, how soon we get them to align with what the team wants and get the best out of them will be the biggest challenge,” he added.LSG will open their IPL 2026 campaign against Delhi Capitals on April 1 at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
