It has been officially announced that Mohammed Shami won’t make it to the India Cricket Team squad for the remainder of the 2 Tests of the Border Gavaskar Trophy. While playing domestic cricket, Shami developed swelling in his left knee which has now halted him from playing a couple of more matches. But it is now or never before the ace pacer recovers and becomes 100% fit for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy.
Mohammed Shami was expected to be fit for the Border Gavaskar Trophy, but it didn’t go according to plan. He then went on to play domestic cricket for Bengal, playing one Ranji Trophy match and quite a few Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy matches. He was then added to the Bengal squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy but will be missing the first game.
The BCCI Medical Team revealed that Shami suffered swelling in his left knee while bowling in SMAT games and thus needs adequate rest and recovery. Initially, the BCCI Medical team wanted Shami to regain 100% fitness and lose weight to be able to make it to the IND vs AUS Test series.
From one ICC event to Another
It has been quite a ride for Shami. He last played an international match for India in the ODI World Cup 2023 Finals. And being out of the BGT series, Shami will be eyeing for a mega comeback in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy. While he will have to continue playing domestic cricket, his recovery is also equally important.
However, the ICC event is of extreme importance. And Shami would be needed for the Men in Blue from the start of the tournament. Over the last couple of months, Team India has been heavily reliant on their ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah. And now it makes all the sense for Shami to join India’s pace attack and lead the charge alongside Bumrah.
It is also to be noted that Shami was the highest wicket-taker in the ODI World Cup 2023 despite not playing a couple of matches in the opening phase of the tournament. With Shami back in the squad, India will get a mighty addition to their ranks which they have been missing since last year.