Visakhapatnam
Selectors have been informed about Shami’s progress. To prove his fitness, he should play at least one match in the Duleep Trophy matches starting in Anantapur from September 5, a decision on this will be taken soon.
Shami is in the final stage of his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore. Last month, he started bowling for the first time after his surgery and has gradually increased his bowling workload after being pain-free.
Before leaving for Sri Lanka tour in July, chief selector Ajit Agarkar had confirmed that Shami had started bowling.
Agarkar had said, ” Shami has started bowling, which is a good sign. The first Test against Bangladesh is on September 19 and his return was seen as a goal. I don’t know if he will be fit by then, we will have to ask the people at the NCA.”
“There are many Test matches coming up. We need to delve deeper into the team. Bumrah, Shami, and Siraj have been playing together for some time. However, we will also consider some other players. There are also many first-class matches scheduled. We can also keep an eye on some other players there.”
Shami had expressed hope to play for Bengal before his return to the national team in Kolkata last month. At that time, he was informally participating in motivational and fitness sessions for the state players.
If Shami misses some or all of India’s home Tests (two against Bangladesh and three against New Zealand), he still has enough time to fine-tune his bowling for the Australia tour. The Indian team will depart for Australia immediately after the conclusion of the third Test against New Zealand on November 5. The Ranji Trophy will start in October, with the BCCI deciding to split the premier competition into two parts to avoid the impact of the weather, especially during matches in North India in winter. The India A team will also play two first-class matches in Australia from October 31 and Shami can also play during this period if needed.
The leg injury that surfaced immediately after the 2023 ODI World Cup final was not initially considered serious. Shami’s fitness was monitored for India’s Test team ahead of the two-match series in South Africa in December-January. He was later excluded from that tour.
In February-March, Shami went back to the NCA hoping to be fit for the home Test against England, but after continuous swelling in his right leg, he was advised surgery, which forced him out of both the series and IPL 2024.
Shami was a key player in India’s journey to the final of the ODI World Cup, taking 24 wickets in just seven matches with an average of 10.70 and a strike rate of 12.20.
