Mohammed Shami INJURED at the NCA, Big Setback to India's BGT Plans - REPORT

In what would come as a major setback to India's plans for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, premier pacer Mohammed Shami has picked up yet another injury. Shami, who was slated to turn up for Bengal in their Ranji game on October 11, will in all probability not feature in that game. Shami has reportedly developed swollen knees while he was undergoing rehab at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) Now, there is a possibility that the the 34-year-old might be out for another six to eight weeks. The much-awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy starts in November and it seems difficult for Shami to get fit on time for the series. He last played for the national team in the ODI World Cup final in Ahmedabad. Since then, he has been on a rehabilitation programme. 

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‘This knee injury has flared up recently’

"Shami had resumed bowling and he was looking on track to make a comeback to competitive cricket soon. But this knee injury has flared up recently. BCCI's medical team is assessing the injury but it may require quite a bit of time," a BCCI source in the know was quoted as saying.

Shami was India's main man at the ODI WC where he ended up with 24 wickets in seven outings. He had missed out on a few WC games and was in the XI once allrounder Hardik Pandya picked up an injury versus Bangladesh . 

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Having a good knowhow of the Australian conditions, his presence in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was being looked at as a massive boost to India's chances. But now, as things stand, it is unclear if he participates in the Test series or not. Reports had earlier suggested that Shami would return to the side for the Test series against New Zealand.