Mohammed Shami Likely to Miss South Africa Test Series Due to Ankle Injury:Reports

Indian veteran fast bowler Mohammed Shami is expected to be sidelined for the upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa, commencing on December 26th in Centurion. Currently grappling with an ankle injury, the right-arm quick is on a path to recovery, although the specifics of the injury’s nature and origin remain unclear.

A PTI report confirms Shami’s ankle condition, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) yet to issue an official statement on the extent of his injury. The seasoned pacer, still recuperating from an injury sustained during the ICC ODI World Cup 2023, may be forced to skip the imminent series against South Africa.

As per Cricbuzz, Shami won’t be accompanying the Indian contingent, which includes Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravichandran Ashwin, Navdeep Saini, and Harshit Rana, flying to South Africa via Dubai on Friday.

The report suggests that Shami’s availability for the Boxing Day Test, the second and final match of the series, remains uncertain. The decision to include Shami in the South Africa tour was contingent on his fitness, as stated previously by the BCCI, acknowledging his ongoing medical treatment.

India’s Test squad, led by Rohit Sharma, features Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan (wk), KL Rahul (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Mohd. Shami (subject to fitness), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), and Prasidh Krishna.