Mohammed Shami, the Indian fast bowler, is reportedly expected to make his return to the national team during the Test series against Bangladesh in September this year. After getting sidelined from international cricket due to an ankle injury last year, the Amroha-born cricketer has made considerable progress in his recovery phase after undergoing surgery on his achilles tendon.
Notably, Mohammed Shami hasn’t played professional cricket after the ODI World Cup 2023 final, which India lost against Australia on November 19, at the Narendra Modi Stadium. In February of this year, the 33-year-old had his ankle surgically repaired, following which a lengthy rehabilitation process began, which is in its final stages at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, according to the ESPNcricinfo report.
The Indian selectors have been made aware about the progress from Mohammed Shami. With that, they will soon make a decision around his availability for Duleep Trophy, starting on September 5, to prove his fitness.
Ajit Agarkar had recently talked about Mohammed Shami’s targeted return from injury to be the Bangladesh Test series in September after he started to bowl for the first time in his recovery phase. He said, “(Mohammed) Shami has started to bowl which is a good sign. September 19 is the first Test and that was always the goal. I don't know if that is his timeline for recovery, will have to ask the guys at the NCA about that.”
Last month, Mohammed Shami expressed hope to play for Bengal on his return to professional cricket in domestics before making his India return.