Mohammed Shami has been ruled out of the entire 2024-25 Border–Gavaskar Trophy series between India and Australia due to fitness issues, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed on Monday. According to the BCCI, Shami has swelling in his left knee and the 34-year-old Indian pacer won’t be travelling Down Under for the remaining two Tests against Australia.
The BCCI statement on Shami’s fitness came days after India captain Rohit Sharma called on the National Cricket Academy to provide an update on the veteran bowler’s progress upon being asked once again about it at the end of the Brisbane Test.
After Rohit’s appeal, the board has finally issued a medical and fitness update on Shami, revealing the entire sequence of events.
“The BCCI Medical Team at the Centre of Excellence has been working closely with Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami on his recovery and rehabilitation after his right heel surgery. Shami has completely recovered from this heel problem.
Shami bowled 43 overs in the Ranji Trophy match for Bengal against Madhya Pradesh in November. Following this, he played in all nine games of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), where he also engaged in additional bowling sessions on the sidelines to build his bowling volume in order to get ready for the Test matches,” the BCCI said in a statement.
“However, his left knee has exhibited minor swelling due to increased joint loading from his bowling workload. The swelling is on the expected lines, owing to the increased bowling after a prolonged period.
Based on the current medical assessment, the BCCI Medical Team has determined that his knee requires more time for controlled exposure to bowling loads. Consequently, he has not been deemed fit for consideration for the remaining two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy,” it added.
Notably, Shami has not played for India since the ODI World Cup final in November last year, after which he underwent surgery for a heel injury in February.
Shami played for Bengal in the first round of Ranji Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. However, the experienced pacer was not included in Bengal’s squad for their first game of the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy.
As per BCCI, Shami’s participation in the Vijay Hazare Trophy would depend on the state of his knee.
“Shami will continue to undergo targeted strength and conditioning work under the guidance of the medical staff at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence and build his bowling loads needed to meet the demands of the longest format of the game. His participation in the Vijay Hazare Trophy will depend on the progress of his knee,” it said.
