Mohammed Shami's participation in Border-Gavaskar Trophy uncertain due to injury
What's the story
Indian pacer Mohammed Shami is in a bit of a pickle regarding his participation in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar series Down Under.
He has been recovering at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) following his ankle surgery.
It is understood that Shami has developed swollen knees while undergoing rehab.
Notably, this could rule him out for upto eight weeks, which might affect India's performance in the series, starting November 22.
Recovery journey
Shami sidelined since 2023 World Cup
Shami has been sidelined since India's loss in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup final against Australia. After that, he had to go through Achilles tendon surgery in February 2024.
His last competitive match was for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy, which kicked off on October 11.
A BCCI source said, "Shami had resumed bowling and he was looking on track to make a comeback to competitive cricket soon."
Medical evaluation
BCCI's medical team assessing Shami's injury
The BCCI's medical team is currently checking out Shami's knee injury.
The source further added, "But this knee injury has flared up recently. BCCI's medical team is assessing the injury but it may require quite a bit of time."
This setback comes despite the NCA medical team's year-long efforts to restore Shami to full fitness, utilizing their advanced workload management systems.
Past injuries
Shami's history with knee injuries
Shami has had his fair share of knee injuries, including a major one during the 2015 World Cup Down Under.
That injury was handled by Nitin Patel, who is now the head of BCCI's medical team.
Despite all these hurdles, Shami continues to be a crucial player for India.
He is tipped to play a crucial role in India's preparations for the upcoming five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.