Superstar speedster Mohammed Shami is spearheading the Team India's pace attack in the Champions Trophy 2025 absence of Jasprit Bumrah. Gruesome back injury ruled Jasprit Bumrah out of the Champions Trophy, but by then Shami made his return to the India's fold after staying out of action for 14 months owing to injury.
'Will I be able to do it again? Will I be able to walk without a limp?': Mohammed Shami on injury struggles
Shami recently returned to the Indian team during the white-ball series against England, marking his comeback after a lengthy absence. The time away from the game was challenging for Shami. He admitted to having serious doubts about whether he would ever have the opportunity to represent his country again, as the injury kept him out of action for over a year. Shami said that from being in red-hot form during ODI World Cup to suddenly finding himself under the knife was really tough for him to process.
"From being in great form during the World Cup to suddenly finding myself on the operating table from that form to being injured was really tough. My first question to the doctor was 'how many days until I can be back on the field'. He said my priority is to get you to walk, then jog and then run and thinking about playing competitive cricket is still a distant goal," Shami told the ICC.
"I always wondered when I would be able to put my feet on the ground again someone who is used to running on the field constantly was now in crutches. A lot of thoughts used to run through my mind. Will I be able to do it again? Will I be able to walk without a limp? For the first two months I often doubted whether I would be able to play again as an injury like this followed by a 14-month break can pull you down," he added.
But Shami was in no mood to give up and his tenacity to play for India again helped him all through his recovery period. This motivation fueled his dedication to a rigorous rehabilitation process. Prior to his return to the national team, Shami actively participated in numerous domestic tournaments, including the Ranji Trophy, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and the Vijay Hazare Trophy. This extensive domestic cricket provided him with the necessary match practice and conditioning to ensure he was ready for international battles.
"After 60 days when they asked me to put my feet on the ground, you wont believe me, but I have ever been more scared to put my foot on the ground. It felt like I was starting over, like a toddler learning how to walk and I was worried about any complications," he further stated.
"Courage and passion to play for the country are the biggest motivators and the desire to wear the India badge on my chest kept me going. You endure the pain and take it one step at a time without complaints or bitterness. The passion for representing my country has brought me this far. It was tough and there was pain, but with resilience and patience I made it through," Shami concluded.
Shami made a stunning comeback as he announced himself in the Champions Trophy by giving India a crucial breakthrough in the clash against Bangladesh. He quickly wiped off the Bangladesh's top order batters Soumya Sarkar (0) and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (5) to give India a solid start.
Earlier India lost the toss and were put to bowl first against Bangladesh.
India's playing XI:
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami
Bangladesh's playing XI:
Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Sakib