Indian pacer Mohammed Shami has been ruled out of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) due to a left ankle injury that requires surgery in the UK, according to a BCCI source. Shami, who last played for India in the ODI World Cup final against Australia in November, was in London in late January for special ankle injections. However, the treatment did not yield the desired results, and surgery is now deemed necessary.
The senior BCCI source mentioned, “Shami was in London in the last week of January to take special ankle injections, and he was told that after three weeks, he can start light running and take it from thereon. But the injection hasn’t worked, and now the only option left is surgery. He will shortly leave for the UK for surgery. IPL seems out of the question.”
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Shami, a key contributor to India’s successful World Cup campaign with 24 wickets, played through pain during the tournament. Despite encountering landing issues, he didn’t let it affect his performance. The pacer, recently honoured with the Arjuna Award, holds an impressive record with 229 Test wickets, 195 ODI wickets, and 24 T20 wickets in his decade-long career.
As per reports from @PTI_News, Mohammed Shami has been ruled out of IPL 2024 due to a left ankle injury that will require surgery.#MohammedShami #India #IPL2024 #GujaratTitans #Cricket pic.twitter.com/Thh2Es3DvG
— Wisden India (@WisdenIndia) February 22, 2024
The situation raises concerns about the injury rehabilitation management program planned by the National Cricket Academy (NCA) for Shami. His return before India’s Test matches against Bangladesh and New Zealand in October-November now appears unlikely. The marquee away series against Australia could be Shami’s target for a comeback.
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Some insiders believe that the conservative approach taken by the NCA may not have been the most effective for Shami’s case. A source commented, “Shami should have gone directly for surgery, and that should have been NCA’s call. Just two months of rest and injections wouldn’t have worked well, and that’s what has happened. He is an asset, and the Indian team would need him in Australia.”
