Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Rohit seeks NCA update on Mohammed Shami's fitness
What's the story
Indian cricket team captain, Rohit Sharma, has demanded an update from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) on Mohammed Shami's fitness.
With the Border-Gavaskar series underway, Sharma has been reluctant to field Shami until his condition is confirmed.
The fast bowler recently made a comeback from injury during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and is also included in Bengal's squad for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Injury worries
Knee concerns raise questions
Sharma acknowledged that Shami had suffered knee swelling while playing in the 2024/25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
"But look, I understand he's playing a lot of cricket back home. But there have been some complaints about his knee as well," Sharma said during a press conference.
These concerns have prompted caution over fielding him in the ongoing series against Australia, without full assurance of his fitness.
Career challenges
Shami hasn't played for India since November 2023
Shami last featured for India in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup final in November. He was ruled out owing to an ankle injury before undergoing surgery.
His return was further delayed when he developed knee swelling just before a highly anticipated Test series against New Zealand.
Despite these setbacks, Sharma has said that if Shami is fully fit, he would be welcomed back into the team.
Player perspective
Shami's self-assessment and domestic cricket performance
A BCCI official revealed to PTI that Shami feels unprepared for the rigors of red-ball cricket at the moment due to sporadic swelling of the knee.
Since his return, Shami has played one Ranji Trophy and eight Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy matches for Bengal in a month.
Though there are rumors of him playing the final two Tests against Australia, there's no official word yet.
Recovery journey
Shami's recovery and monitoring by Centre of Excellence
Shami has been under the Centre of Excellence's watch since his ankle surgery in London this February.
He was gearing up for a comeback during home Tests against Bangladesh and New Zealand, but a knee issue during rehab prompted a more cautious approach from BCCI.
Nitin Patel, head of sports science at the Centre of Excellence, has been closely monitoring Shami's progress since his return to domestic cricket.
VHT
Shami returned to Bengal squad for Vijay Hazare Trophy
Shami was recently included in the Bengal team's 20-member squad for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy. This is part of his bid to prove his fitness for the ongoing Test series in Australia.
Meanwhile, Shami played all nine games for Bengal in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, taking 11 wickets at an economy of 7.85. The star pacer also went past 200 wickets in T20s recently (201).