In a big blow to the Gujarat Titans ahead of the IPL 2024 opener against Chennai Super Kings on March 22, a BCCI source says that star pacer Mohammed Shami will not play the IPL 17. According to the news agency PTI, the BCCI official said that Shami had suffered an ankle injury and would need to undergo a surgery soon. the 33-year-old will undergo the surgery in the UK, the report added.
Shami last played for India during the ODI World Cup final in Ahmedabad on November 19 last year. The BCCI source, who has not been named by the PTI, said that Shami was in London in January. He was in the British capital to take a special injection that would have helped him to play the IPL three weeks later.
However, the medical experts say that the injection has not been able to provide any relief to Shami and the only option left now is a major operation. The pace bowler will be flying out of India very soon and in the present circumstances, playing IPL is not plausible.
Honoured with the Arjuna Award, Md Shami has played 195 ODIs, 229 Tests in his career spanning over 10 years. Md Shami played through pain during the ICC World Cup 2023. However, this didn’t affect his bowling performance. In fact, Shami was seen as one of the architects of India’s stunning track record in the World Cup. With the impending surgery and subsequent rehabilitation, Shami may make a comeback in India vs Bangladesh test match.