Bengaluru. India captain Rohit Sharma confirmed that Mohammed Shami’s return to international cricket could be further delayed after he recently suffered another injury. Shami had undergone surgery on his right (Achilles tendon) leg in February this year, now his knee has become swollen, which is delaying his recovery. According to Rohit, “It is difficult to say right now whether he will be fit for this series or the Australia series or not. Recently he has suffered another injury, his knee got swollen, which is quite unusual. “He was in the process of getting fit and was almost fit, but his knee is swollen. This has delayed his recovery a bit, and he will have to start all over again. Shami last played international cricket in the 2023 ODI World Cup, where he played a key role in taking India to the final by taking 24 wickets in 7 matches. He got his ankle treated with injections while playing despite the pain during the World Cup. Shami had undergone surgery in London earlier this year. After this his rehab was also going well. He would have been available for selection in the five-Test Australia series starting next month, but his latest injury has dealt a major blow to his comeback plans. Rohit also confirmed that Shami is currently working with physiotherapists and doctors at the NCA (National Cricket Academy).
He said that currently he is in NCA. He is working with physios and doctors. We want him to be 100 percent fit. Under no circumstances do we want to take them to Australia with half-baked preparations, it would not be the right decision for us. Shami has not played international cricket for almost a year. For this reason, Rohit also said that it may be difficult for Shami to get into form immediately. He also told that Shami will have to play some matches before playing international cricket. Brohit said that he has not played any cricket for more than a year. It is very difficult for a fast bowler to stay away from cricket for so long and then suddenly get back in form. This is not an ideal situation. We would like to give him full time so that he can be 100 percent fit. Physio, trainer and doctors have prepared a roadmap for him. He will have to play a few more matches before playing international cricket. We will see after the New Zealand series what condition he is in and then decide what the role will be for him in Australia. India still have 8 Tests left in the current World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. After the three-match series against New Zealand, India will play a five-match Test series with Australia.