Star Indian pacer Mohammed Shami, who has been sidelined due to an injury since the 2023 ODI World Cup, has returned to bowling in the nets, marking a significant step towards his return to competitive cricket. Shami had been sidelined due to a right heel injury that required surgery, and he has since been under the careful supervision of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The 33-year-old fast bowler underwent an operation on his Achilles tendon earlier this year, causing him to miss the home series against Australia, the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, and the ICC T20 World Cup. Despite these setbacks, Shami is now preparing for his comeback and shared a video on Instagram of himself cautiously bowling in the training nets. Although he has recovered from the ankle injury, he has not yet resumed bowling at full intensity. Shami is working to regain his form and get medical clearance from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) as he aims to return to competitive cricket. Shami captioned his post, “Vibing with the latest, grinding for the greatest. #shami #mdshami #mdshami11 #hardwork #practice.” Shami was India’s standout bowler in the 2023 ODI World Cup, taking 24 wickets in seven matches at an average of 10.70. Despite an ankle injury, he played a crucial role in India’s impressive performance during the ICC event hosted by India. However, Shami experienced stiffness in his ankle before the England series in January and was unable to recover in time.
