Mohammed Shami, an Indian fast bowler, is recovering quickly from an ankle injury that has prevented him from playing cricket since the ODI World Cup in November.
Mohammed Shami, an India fast bowler, is making considerable progress in his comeback from an ankle injury that has kept him out of cricket since the ODI World Cup in November. He is expected to be ready for India’s home season, which begins in September with a Test series against Bangladesh. The selectors have been kept informed of Shami’s progress, and a decision on whether he should play at least one of the Duleep Trophy matches, which begin on September 5 in Anantapur, to demonstrate his fitness will be made shortly.
Presently, Shami is nearing the end of his recuperation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) located in Bengaluru.
For the first time since his surgery, he started bowling again last month, and he has been progressively increasing his effort while claiming no pain.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar announced before India left on their July tour of Sri Lanka that Shami has begun bowling and that his comeback target would be the first Test match against Bangladesh, which begins in Chennai on September 19.
We pretty well know who the individuals are, but there are some injuries right now. Hopefully, they’ll bounce back.” said Ajit Agarkar, as reported by news sources. Thankfully, Shami has begun to bowl. The intention was always to have the first Test on September 19. I’ll need to find out from the guys at the NCA whether or not that is his estimated time of recuperation.”
In light of the upcoming hectic Test calendar, Agarkar also underlined the significance of depth in the fast bowling unit.
He declared, “There will be a ton of tests soon. We’ll require some depth. The most well-known ones are Bumrah, Shami, and Siraj; they have been around for a while. However, there will be some discussion about it. We have plenty of first-class cricket matches ahead of us, so we can develop guys in that way.”This emphasizes the necessity for a large pool of quick bowlers who are able to switch up their workloads and ailments.
In Kolkata towards the end of the previous month, Shami stated that he would prefer to play for Bengal before rejoining the national squad. He also took part in casual workout and motivational sessions with state players.
Shami has plenty of time to find his bowling rhythm before the visit of Australia, even if he misses part or all of India’s home Test matches—two against Bangladesh and three against New Zealand.On November 5, immediately after the conclusion of the third Test against New Zealand, the team will depart. In addition, India’s A squad will play two first-class matches in Australia starting on October 31, and the Ranji Trophy starts in October, giving Shami plenty of opportunity to improve.When Shami’s ankle issue first became noticeable following the 2023 ODI World Cup, it was thought to be minor. He will miss the Gujarat Titans’ IPL 2024 and the home Tests against England in February and March, though, as a result of the decision to have surgery due to ongoing swelling.At a strike rate of 12.20 and an average of 10.70 across seven games, Shami was a key player in leading India to the ODI World Cup final.
His return will be a major boost for India’s seam attack going into a tough domestic season and the tour of Australia, as he approaches full health.
