Mohammed Shami, the experienced Indian bowler, might not play in either of the two South Africa Test matches starting December 26th in Centurion.
According to Cricbuzz, Shami won’t head to South Africa with other leading Indian players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah. The report says Navdeep Saini and Harshit Rana will accompany the senior team instead.
Shami had allegedly complained about pain in his right ankle, particularly while landing, and had played the whole World Cup in agony. The BCCI made it plain in their correspondence that the experienced bowler would only be confirmed as a member of the squad if he was fully healthy.
While there is no clarity about who would replace Mohammed Shami in the Test team, India will have plenty of choices with the A side, as well as the T20I and ODI sides, currently in South Africa.
Mohammed Shami’s record-breaking performance in World Cup 2023
Even though India didn’t win the final, Shami had an amazing streak in the 2023 World Cup. He took a whopping 24 wickets from only seven games. Given his outstanding performance, his lack of presence could really affect the visitors. Especially as they strive for that milestone – their first-ever Test series victory on South African grounds.
However, it also allows Mukesh Kumar and Prasidh Krishna to demonstrate their worth. After his fifer against South Africa A, Prasidh may overtake Mukesh as the third seamer.
