The Indian team’s efforts are toward the end as they await news on the condition and extent of the injury to their premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah. Whereas Mohammed Shami has been busy with a sympathetic look boding well for his recovery, with a video of him steaming up the nets and claiming fitness to “take on the world”.
For the rest of the country, there with him has been domestic cricket- Benga Shami has represented Benga for ever since his competitive return in November of last year. Although, given his match fitness, the 34-year-old was not included in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy which India lost 1-3.
The last match played for India by Shami was the final match of the 2023 ODI World Cup, after which he was out for nearly a year due to an ankle injury.
However, Bumrah ended with back spasms during the fifth and last test of the India tour of Australia, which finished last week. He was scanned midway through the game and did not bowl in Australia’s second innings, winning by 6 wickets to clinch the Border-Gavaskar trophy for the first time in a decade.
Bumrah will undergo assessment after returning to India, but the recovery period will depend on how severe the injury is according to reports. India will host England for five T20I matches before playing three ODIs and leaving for Dubai next month to participate in the Champions Trophy 2025.
Shami had an ankle surgery in February last year and made his competitive comeback through the Ranji Trophy in November. However, even though he has participated in some domestic matches since then, he has not yet been given a fitness clearance by the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. There were reports that the 34-year-old has developed swelling in his knee delaying his return. Ahead of the Boxing Day Test against Australia in December, the BCCI officially ruled Shami out of selection for the remaining two matches.
However, former India chief coach Ravi Shastri says he would have taken Shami to Australia anyway so that the bowler could continue his rehabilitation with the team.
“I would have kept him part of the team and made sure that his rehabilitation was done with the team,” Shastri told the ICC Review. “And then if we thought by the third Test match that no, this guy can’t play the rest of the series, I would let him go.”