India’s gun fast bowler Mohammed Shami is not sure about the timing of his return. Shami was sidelined after suffering an injury to his left ankle. The pacer from Bengal also had to undergo the knife and missed out on the Indian Premier League 2024 for Gujarat Titans and also could not recover for the T20 World Cup.
Shami will now take the domestic route to get back into the national team. Meanwhile, the experienced seamer was at his absolute best in the ODI World Cup 2023, finishing as the leading wicket-taker with 24 scalps in seven matches at an impressive average of 10.71.
“It’s difficult to say when I will be back. I am trying hard, but hopefully you will get to see me in Bengal colours before I don the India jersey again. I will come to play two-three matches for Bengal and will come fully prepared for it,” said Shami at an event in Kolkata.
Shami revealed that the plan was to address the injury after the T20 World Cup 2024 but it turned worse when he was playing in the ODI World Cup 2023.
“We never thought the injury would be this serious. The plan was to address it after the T20 World Cup since we had the IPL and the ICC T20 mega event coming almost back-to-back after last year’s World Cup. But it turned worse during the ODI World Cup itself, and I also did not find it right to risk playing on with it. Even the doctors could not fathom that the injury would take such a serious turn and would take so much time to heal,” he added.
Shami has been India’s top bowler along with Jasprit Bumrah and he is going to play a crucial role on the tour of Australia.
India is currently taking on Sri Lanka in a three-match ODI series.
