Mohammed Shami has been struggling with an ankle injury following which he has been out of action since November 2023. Despite showing positive signs of recovery, Mohammed Shami has not been included in Bengal’s squad for the next two matches of the ongoing Ranji Trophy edition.
Bengal is set to lock horns with Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.
Earlier, Mohammed Shami revealed that he resumed bowling in the nets and the recovery process is yielding good results. But his absence from the Ranji Trophy squad indicates that he is yet to recover fully for competitive cricket.
The pacer further stated that it depends on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) whether he will play against Australia in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
India fast bowler Mohammed Shami‘s return to competitive action has been further delayed after he was not named in Bengal’s Ranji Trophy squad for the next two matches. This implies that Shami is most likely to miss the Border-Gavaskar Test series, where India will be fighting for a spot in the World Test Championship final.
Who is Mohammed Shami?
Mohammed Shami (born 3 September 1990) is an Indian international cricketer who serves as a right-arm fast or fast medium bowler, representing India in all formats. He has played for Bengal in domestic cricket and for four teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL). One of the most consistent wicket takers in contemporary world cricket, Shami bowls the ball off the seam and uses swing, including reverse swing, to move the ball both directions. He has been reputed to have an edge in the death (slog) overs of a limited-overs innings and, in all formats, has been described as being at times “unplayable”. Shami finished as India’s leading wicket taker in the ICC World Cup 2023, besides being the fastest bowler to take 50 wickets in the 48 years history of Cricket World Cup spanning 13 editions. He is recipient of 2023 Arjuna Award for Cricket. Having taken 7 wickets for 57 runs against New Zealand in the 2023 Cricket World Cup semi final, he holds the record for the best figures for an Indian Bowler in ODIs, and is currently, the only Indian bowler to have taken 7 wickets in an ODI innings.
When did Shami last play a competitive game?
The senior India pacer was last seen in action in the 2023 ODI World Cup final, after which he was sidelined with an ankle injury. He later underwent surgery in February earlier this year.
