India veteran speedster Mohammed Shami who was on the road to recovery has made his cricketing comeback through the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024. He was featured in the Bengal vs Madhya Pradesh clash where he got his mojo back by picking four wickets at Holkar Stadium in Indore. The speedster missed cricketing action for nearly a year following the heartbreak of the 2023 World Cup final loss against Australia.
Shami’s childhood coach, Mohammed Badruddin, shared insights into the pacer’s journey back to form and hinted that Shami could feature in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. However, his availability may only begin from the third Test at the Gabba.
Speaking to Indian Express, Badruddin said “He will be joining the Indian team after the Adelaide (second) Test. Now that he is back, proved his fitness, picked up wickets, he will be crucial for the team in the second half of the tour."
This development is promising for Indian fans, as Shami’s presence would strengthen the pace attack in Australia. With the Brisbane Test starting on December 14, he has about a month to regain full readiness.
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Coach Badruddin also shared that the 34-year-old faced mental and physical challenges during his recovery from ankle surgery, which weighed on him throughout his comeback journey.
“He returned quicker after the knee surgery,” said Badruddin. “This time, the rehab took more time because of the age. He did get edgy this time. Got frustrated so many times.”
Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 is scheduled to start from November 22 in Perth, with the likely pace lineup featuring Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and either Akash Deep or Prasidh Krishna, given Shami’s absence from the squad.
India squad for Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25
Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar.
Travelling reserves: Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed.
