Following the conclusion of the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, Indian players are on a break these days and will return to action during the two-match Test series against Bangladesh at home next month. The series opener is scheduled to take place at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai from September 19, and Kanpur’s Green Park Stadium will host the second Test from September 27.
Before the start of the Test series, many Indian Test players like Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Rishabh Pant will play in the Duleep Trophy as well to get into the groove. The BCCI selectors are expected to announce India’s squad for the two-match series against Bangladesh early next month.
Ahead of the team selection, it has been reported that star Indian pacer Mohammed Shami will not play in the upcoming matches and instead make a comeback for India during the three-match Test series against New Zealand in October-November.
Shami, who last played for India on November 19, 2023, during the ODI World Cup, is currently undergoing rehabilitation after an ankle surgery.
According to a PTI report on Sunday, before playing for India, Shami is likely to appear for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy 2024–25.
The New Zealand Test series starts on October 19 in Bengaluru, followed by Tests in Pune (October 24) and Mumbai (November 1).
The BCCI wants Shami to be fully fit for the five-match Test series against Australia, which starts in Perth on November 22.
Shami, who was expected to make his long-awaited comeback during the Bangladesh series, was not named in the Duleep Trophy squads as well, which was announced by BCCI on August 14.
According to PTI, Shami was not considered as there was no chance of him getting fit during the Duleep Trophy, and the selectors don’t want to take any chances by rushing him earlier than required.
Shami’s record in Tests
Shami made his Test debut for India against the West Indies during the Kolkata Test in November 2013. In the last 11 years, the 33-year-old right-arm pacer from Bengal has picked up 229 wickets in 64 Tests for India. Before getting injured, Shami was in red-hot form and finished as the leading wicket-taker in the ODI World Cup 2023. He played in seven matches for the Rohit Sharma-led side and dismissed 24 batters.
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