Mohammed Shami fitness update: BCCI deems India pacer unfit for Border-Gavaskar Trophy

The BCCI on Monday deemed Mohammed Shami unfit for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) despite ruling him completely fit from his heel problem. Shami, who last played for India during the ODI World Cup final at home in 2023, has been out of action for a long period before making his comeback to competitive cricket a few months back in the Ranji Trophy against Madhya Pradesh. 

The Bengal pacer bowled 43 overs in his comeback match against Madhya Pradesh in November. Following this, he played in all nine games of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) for Bengal. 

In the medical update that the BCCI released on Monday, it said that Shami has completely recovered from this heel problem but his left knee exhibited minor swelling due to increased joint loading from his bowling workload. 

The swelling was on the expected lines, owing to the increased bowling after a prolonged period. “Based on the current medical assessment, the BCCI Medical Team has determined that his knee requires more time for controlled exposure to bowling loads. Consequently, he has not been deemed fit for consideration for the remaining two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy,” it said. 

Shami will continue to undergo targeted strength and conditioning work under the guidance of the medical staff at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence and build his bowling loads needed to meet the demands of the longest format of the game. His participation in the Vijay Hazare Trophy will depend on the progress of his knee.

Shami’s fitness update come after India captain Rohit sharma