Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami is hoping to return to the game after a long time away due to an injury. He last played for the national team in the ODI World Cup final against Australia in Ahmedabad on November 19 of the previous year. Since then, Shami hasn’t played in any official matches because he had ankle surgery in the United Kingdom in February and was expected to be out for at least six months.
According to PTI, Shami is expected to play for his home team, Bengal, in the Ranji Trophy and might also play in an international Test match against New Zealand.
The report added that Shami is set to participate in either one or both of Bengal’s initial away Ranji matches. The first match is against UP on October 11, and the second is against Bihar on October 18 in Kolkata. Given the short two-day break between these matches, it seems unlikely that he will play in both.
The New Zealand Test series begins on October 19 in Bengaluru, with subsequent matches in Pune on October 24 and Mumbai on November 1. Shami is anticipated to play in one of these matches before heading off for a major tour in Australia.
There are Instagram videos showing Shami beginning his RTP routines (Return To Play) at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, where he is bowling with a low-intensity and a shortened run-up. There were reports suggesting he might be ready for the Duleep Trophy.
But it turns out that he won’t be fit in time for the Duleep Trophy, and the selectors don’t want to rush his recovery. The main goal is to ensure that India’s top three fast bowlers – Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj – are all fit for the five Test matches in Australia.
So far, Shami has taken 229 wickets in 64 Test matches, including six instances where he took five wickets in an innings and 12 instances where he took four wickets in an innings.
