Mohammed Shami set to miss T20 World cup: Jay Shah confirms

BCCI Secretary Jay Shah has announced that India pacer Mohammed Shami is expected to make a return to international cricket during India's Test series against Bangladesh in September 2024.

Shami has not featured even once for the national side since India's 2023 ODI World Cup Final loss to Australia, due to an Achilles Tendon injury that required him to undergo surgery on February 26, 2024. The fast bowler was previously confirmed to miss the entirety of IPL 2024 and, based on Jay Shah's update, will also miss the highly anticipated 2024 T20 World Cup starting in June.

Since his phenomenal performance in the 2023 World Cup, where he emerged as the highest wicket-taker with 24 wickets, Shami has been recovering at the National Cricket Academy. Jay Shah, speaking to PTI about recent injury setbacks within the Indian cricket team, shared that Shami is expected to regain fitness by the time India faces Bangladesh in two Tests and three T20Is starting in September.

"Shami surgery is done, he is back in India. Shami's return is likely for the home series against Bangladesh," Jay Shah told PTI.

Shami's injury has been persisting since before the ODI World Cup, with the player confirming that he played through the entire tournament with pain-killing injections. Since his surgery, the player has been declared unfit to participate in IPL 2024 for his franchise, Gujarat Titans. However, the 33-year-old's absence from India's 2024 T20 World Cup campaign is what has peaked the interest of the cricket fraternity.

Shami's bowling prowess was surely expected to be one of India's biggest assets for the upcoming tournament, and it would have played a pivotal part in India's hunt for an ICC trophy since the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. Although the squad is yet to be finalized, the prospect of Shami's services alongside the likes of Jasprit Bumrah will be highly missed in the T20 World Cup.

Despite his recent lack of game time in T20I cricket, Shami's performance in the 2023 IPL is a perfect example of how deadly the bowler can be in the format. Shami finished the 2023 IPL with the Gujarat Titans as the highest wicket-taker, with 28 wickets in his 17 appearances.

With Shami sidelined, the Indian selectors will be going all-out in their hunt for a replacement. The IPL 2024 could motivate several bowlers to secure a spot in the squad as Shami's replacement, provided they could deliver standout performances that catch the selectors' attention.