Veteran Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami is working hard to regain his fitness before making a comeback to the national cricket team. Mohammed Shami has resumed his training and shared his batting video from the practice session on his official Instagram account on Thursday, August 8.
Mohammed Shami has been on the sidelines since the 2023 ODI World Cup, where India suffered a defeat in the final. The right-arm spinner suffered an Achilles tendon injury during the ICC event. Shami underwent surgery and had to miss the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) and the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Watch: Mohammed Shami shares batting practice video on Instagram
Mohammed Shami is currently preparing for his comeback at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. The 33-year-old cricketer shared a video on Instagram in which he showcases his batting practice. In the video, the right-handed batsman played defensive and elevated shots against a net bowler.
“When the player takes up the bat, he expects the unexpected,” Shami captioned the post.
Known for his bowling prowess, Shami has occasionally showcased his batting skills in international cricket. Notably, he scored an unbeaten 56 runs against England at Lord’s in 2021. Throughout his career, Shami has amassed 750 Test runs at an average of 11.9 and 220 ODI runs at an average of 7.86.
Mohammed Shami to play for India in Test series against Bangladesh
Mohammed Shami last played during the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. The player was not included in the starting XI for the first four group matches but was called up after Hardik Pandya’s injury. Shami made a significant impact by taking five wickets against New Zealand in his first game of the World Cup.
Hardik Pandya’s injury did not cost India dearly in the ICC ODI tournament. Shami finished as the leading wicket-taker with 24 wickets in seven matches at an average of 10.71 and an economy rate of 5.26. He also took seven wickets in the semi-final. However, he did not receive the Player of the Series award.
The experienced player could return to action during the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh at home. The first Test match will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, starting from September 19. India will play the second Test at the Green Park in Kanpur, starting from September 27.
After the Test matches, India and Bangladesh will play a three-match T20I series starting from October 6 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala.
Speaking at a ceremony with the East Bengal Club in Kolkata, Shami expressed uncertainty about the exact date of his return. However, he hoped to play a few matches for Bengal before rejoining the Indian team. The veteran fast bowler said that neither he nor the doctors anticipated the long recovery time required.
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