Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami is set to miss the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season due to a left ankle injury, as per reports.
Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) are dealing with a significant setback as their key player, Mohammed Shami, is set to miss the 2024 edition due to an impending surgery on his left ankle in the United Kingdom (UK). This comes as a major blow for the Shubman Gill-led franchise, with Shami’s absence affecting their prospects in the upcoming tournament.
The recent recipient of the Arjuna Award was last seen in action during the ODI World Cup final against Australia at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium. Interestingly, his final appearance in the IPL also took place at the same venue against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), resulting in losses on both occasions. Despite the defeats, Shami showcased excellent form and played a crucial role in these tournaments.
Since the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 final against Australia in November, Shami has been grappling with the effects of the ankle injury, sidelining him from action. Despite attempts to address the injury with special injections in London, the treatment has proven ineffective, leaving surgery as the only viable option for his recovery.
As per a PTI report, it was disclosed that Mohammed Shami went to London towards the end of January to receive specialized ankle injections. Unfortunately, these injections did not produce the desired results, leaving surgery as the sole viable option.
“Shami was in London in last week of January to take special ankle injections and he was told that after three weeks, he can start light running and take it from thereon.”
“But the injection hasn’t worked and now the only option left is surgery. He will shortly leave for UK for surgery. IPL seems out of question,” a senior BCCI source said on the condition of anonymity, as quoted by PTI.
Shami’s non-participation has sparked worries about how his injury recovery program is being handled, particularly in terms of the strategy employed by the National Cricket Academy (NCA). Some experts believe that a more proactive step, like opting for surgery sooner, might have possibly sped up his comeback timeline.
“Shami should have gone directly for surgery and that should have been NCA’s call. Just two months of rest and injections wouldn’t have worked well, and that’s what has happened. He is an asset and the Indian team would need him in Australia,” the source further added.
In September-October, Bangladesh is scheduled to visit India, and this will be followed by a three-match Test series against New Zealand in October–November. The Indian team is then set to embark on a journey to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, spanning from November to January. It appears that the fast bowler will not be available for the home series and is anticipated to be fit for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2025 away series.
