Mohammed Shami is back to bowling after six months on the sidelines. On June 20, he shared updates on his fitness and training sessions at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). Under the guidance of Dr. Nitin Patel, head of sports science and medicine, and strength and conditioning coach Rajinikanth, Shami is working hard to return to the field.
Mohammed Shami Starts Bowling Again
Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, and Shreyas Iyer have all successfully rehabilitated at the NCA recently. Since being out of action from the ODI World Cup, Shami is expected to be eased back into cricket to avoid re-injury. His childhood coach, Badruddin Siddique, confirmed Shami’s progress: “Shami has started bowling. Not with a full run-up or full tilt, but he’s releasing the ball without discomfort in the nets. This is a good sign because bowling activity has begun,” Badruddin told News18.
Shami to Return in India vs Bangladesh Series
BCCI Secretary Jay Shah announced plans to bring Shami back in September. Shami hasn’t played a match since November 19, but he is set to return for the home series against Bangladesh. “Shami’s return is likely for the home series against Bangladesh,” Shah stated in March.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Mind
After undergoing Achilles tendon surgery in February, Shami will be gradually reintroduced to international cricket. The BCCI plans to take a cautious approach to avoid rushing him into white-ball cricket. With a crucial 5-match Test series in Australia in November, Shami’s presence will be vital for India’s success.
“There is a very important away tour of Australia this year where India plays five Tests. Mohammed Shami is going to be a very crucial player for the side during that assignment, and a very cautious approach is going to be followed.”
“It is always better to ease a player back into competitive cricket, especially for a fast bowler. Again, that’s a safety-first plan, but you never know. If he bowls without discomfort for an extended period in the nets and participates in match simulations without any trouble, Bangladesh Tests could well be the series of his return,” a source told News18.
