Pacer Mohammed Shami will be unavailable for selection for India’s first two Test matches of the upcoming five-match series against England, as per reports. According to The Indian Express, Shami, who is currently nursing an ankle injury, is yet to resume bowling, with the series almost certain to arrive a bit too soon for him.
The veteran speedster was India’s most lethal bowling asset at the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, finishing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 24 scalps. However, he has not been seen in action ever since, with the ankle issue ruling him out of the recently concluded tour of South Africa.
Initially presumed to recuperate before India’s series against England, it is now being reported that Shami will not be fit for the first two Tests, and might feature in only the last three matches.
India’s five-match Test series against England will commence on 25 January, after the completion of their three-match T20I series against Afghanistan. The matches will be played in Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Rajkot, Ranchi and Dharamsala.
Suryakumar Yadav To Be Seen Again In IPL
While Shami is likely to be fit for the latter half of the England series, batter Suryakumar Yadav is unlikely to be seen on the field before the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL).
Yadav, who was India’s captain in their last home T20I series against Australia, played across November and December last year, is nursing a hernia and will reportedly have to undergo an operation. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is likely to send Yadav abroad for his operation.
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