Rohit Sharma Doubtful About Mohammed Shami’s Return for Australia Tour

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India’s captain Rohit Sharma shared an update on Mohammed Shami’s fitness, stressing that the fast bowler won’t be rushed back for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Test series in Australia. Shami, who last played in India’s 2023 ODI World Cup final loss to Australia on November 19, has been recovering from ankle surgery at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.

Recently, Rohit revealed that Shami developed swelling in his knee during recovery, which might further delay his return to international cricket.

“He was making progress toward 100 percent fitness, but this swelling set him back. Now, he has to restart some parts of his rehab,” Rohit explained during a media interaction ahead of India’s first Test against New Zealand. “It’s tough for a fast bowler who has been out for so long to return and perform at peak level right away.”

No Rushed Return for Australia Tour

Rohit emphasized that India won’t take any chances by rushing Shami for the Australia tour unless he is fully fit. 

“We want him to be completely ready. Bringing an under-prepared Shami to Australia wouldn’t be a good decision for us,” Rohit added. “He is working closely with the physios and doctors at NCA, but we will only make a call closer to the series.”

Shami had earlier criticized several Indian media outlets for prematurely reporting that he would miss the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024. However, there’s still a possibility that these reports may prove accurate when BCCI finalizes the squad.

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