Shami underwent surgery in February earlier this year for an Achilles tendon injury.
In a recent development coming in, there’s now some clarity over talismanic pacer Mohammed Shami’s return to competitive cricket.
The 33-year-old has been on the sidelines due to injury after last featuring for India during the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Shami underwent surgery in February earlier this year for an Achilles tendon injury and missed out on a considerable amount of cricket.
The veteran India pacer could not participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) earlier this year and even missed out on the T20 World Cup 2024 where India won the title.
However, in a much-needed positive news, the Bengal fast bowler is now expected to make a return during the upcoming Ranji Trophy season.
Shami is expected to participate in either one or both of Bengal’s initial Ranji matches, the first being an away game against UP on October 11, and the second one in Kolkata against Bihar on October 18.
He will hope to use this opportunity to find his rhythm and earn a potential return to the India setup for one of the Test matches against New Zealand.
The Test series against New Zealand begins on October 19 in Bengaluru, followed by matches in Pune on October 24 and Mumbai on November 1. Shami is likely to feature in one of these matches before heading off for the marquee tour to Australia.
There were also reports that he might make a return for the Duleep trophy, slated to start in September but the Indian management is taking a cautious approach and does not want to jeopardize Shami’s rehabilitation.
The main focus is ensuring that India’s top three fast bowlers — Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj are in peak condition for the five Test matches in Australia later this year.
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