Mohammad Shami has resumed bowling at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) but it’s difficult to put a date on his India return at this stage. The seamer underwent surgery on his right Achilles tendon in February and is undergoing rehab under the watch of Dr Nitin Patel (Head of Sports Science and Medicine at NCA) and Strength & Conditioning coach Rajinikanth at the NCA.
Shami has just taken a break but is likely to return to Bengaluru very soon to resume his rehabilitation. His childhood coach Badruddin is very pleased with the seamer’s progress but feels it will take some more time before he is ready to make a comeback.
“Shami has started bowling. Not with full run-up or full tilt but has started releasing the ball without any discomfort in the nets. This is a good sign because bowling activity has begun,” says Badruddin.
Shami last played for India on November 19 in the 2023 World Cup final vs Australia in Ahmedabad and has been away from action since then. He has missed the South Africa tour, the home Test series vs England, the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League and the ongoing T20 World Cup.
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India’s home calendar was released by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday and the Men in Blue will host Bangladesh for two Tests and 3 T20Is in September-October. Secretary Jay Shah had said in March that they are targeting the Bangladesh Tests for Shami’s return but more clarity on the return date will happen only when he resumes bowling full tilt.
“No doubt he will be back in India colours very soon. You would have seen the progress he has been making via the social media videos and the post. He is working very hard but more clarity will come when bowling resumes at full tilt and how the body reacts after that,” says a source close to the cricketer.
The NCA, as they did with Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer, prefers the shorter formats for players who have undergone long rehabs and it’s very likely to be the case with Shami too as he hasn’t played any cricket for over six months now.
Before the Bangladesh Tests, India will tour Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka in July for limited-overs fixtures and it remains to be seen whether the 33-year-old can get the Return to Play (RTP) before any of those assignments.
Zimbabwe looks unlikely as of now and if he doesn’t regain complete match fitness before the Sri Lanka tour, the three T20Is vs Bangladesh in October are also being looked at for a potential return. The return during Bangladesh Tests is not completely ruled out yet but the stakeholders don’t want to risk injecting him directly into Tests.
“There is a very important away tour of Australia this year where India play five Tests. Mohammed Shami is going to be a very crucial player for the side during that assignment and a very cautious approach is going to be followed. NCA has used T20I and ODIs for players returning from long injury lay-offs in the past and the route is likely to be followed with Shami too.
“It is always better to ease a player back into competitive cricket, especially for a fast bowler. Again, that’s a safety-first plan but you never know. If he bowls without discomfort for an extended period in the nets and participates in match simulations without any trouble, Bangladesh Tests could well be the series of his return,” says a well-placed source.
Shami has been working hard on his fitness and a range of mobility exercises have been included in his routine. A lot of focus is being given to core activation, strength building and compound movements, and substantial progress has been made by the seamer who wasn’t able to walk without crutches some time back.
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