Mohammed Shami can't catch a break, faces injury scare amid speculations over India comeback in Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Mohammed Shami's return to competitive cricket was marred by a concerning injury scare during Bengal's Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Madhya Pradesh on Friday. With Bengal needing to defend 22 runs in the penultimate over, Shami bowled with intensity, but his efforts were momentarily halted when he appeared to suffer pain in his lower back. Mohammed Shami bowls a delivery on the second day of a Ranji Trophy cricket match between Madhya Pradesh and Bengal(PTI)

According to Sporstar, the India pacer was seen lying on the ground for treatment, causing a brief moment of panic in the Bengal camp. However, after receiving medical attention, Shami returned to finish the over.

Top 15 buys at IPL 2025 Auction Share Via Copy Link Rishabh Pant ₹ 27 Cr DC LSG Total Match

111

Total Runs

3284

Highest Score

128 runs Shreyas Iyer ₹ 26.75 Cr KKR PBKS Total Match

115

Total Runs

3127

Highest Score

96 runs Venkatesh Iyer ₹ 23.75 Cr KKR KKR Total Match

50

Total Runs

1326

Highest Score

104 runs

Wickets

3

Best Bowling

2/29 Arshdeep Singh ₹ 18 Cr PBKS PBKS Total Match

65

Total Runs

29

Highest Score

10 runs

Wickets

76

Best Bowling

5/32 Yuzvendra Chahal ₹ 18 Cr RR PBKS Total Match

260

Total Runs

37

Highest Score

8 runs

Wickets

205

Best Bowling

5/40 Jos Buttler ₹ 15.75 Cr RR GT Total Match

107

Total Runs

3582

Highest Score

124 runs KL Rahul ₹ 14 Cr LSG DC Total Match

132

Total Runs

4683

Highest Score

132 runs Trent Boult ₹ 12.50 Cr RR MI Total Match

104

Total Runs

83

Highest Score

17 runs

Wickets

121

Best Bowling

4/18 Jofra Archer ₹ 12.50 Cr MI RR Total Match

35

Total Runs

195

Highest Score

27 runs

Wickets

46

Best Bowling

3/15 Josh Hazlewood ₹ 12.50 Cr RCB RCB Total Match

12

Total Runs

-

Highest Score

-

Wickets

12

Best Bowling

3/24 Mohammed Siraj ₹ 12.25 Cr RCB GT Total Match

93

Total Runs

109

Highest Score

14 runs

Wickets

93

Best Bowling

4/21 Mitchell Starc ₹ 11.75 Cr KKR DC Total Match

41

Total Runs

105

Highest Score

29 runs

Wickets

51

Best Bowling

4/15 Phil Salt ₹ 11.50 Cr DC RCB Total Match

21

Total Runs

653

Highest Score

89 runs Ishan Kishan ₹ 11.25 Cr MI SRH Total Match

105

Total Runs

2644

Highest Score

99 runs

Wickets

-

Best Bowling

- Jitesh Sharma ₹ 11 Cr PBKS RCB Total Match

40

Total Runs

730

Highest Score

49 runs Check Full Coverage

His brief injury scare raised fresh questions about his fitness, especially as Shami has been making his way back into the domestic circuit after nearly a year away from competitive cricket due to an ankle injury and subsequent foot surgery.

Shami’s absence from international cricket over the past year has been significant, particularly given his integral role in India's pace attack. He missed key series, including the away Test series against South Africa at the start of the year, and the five-Test home series against England. Shami also missed the three Tests against New Zealand at home, where India shockingly faced a 0-3 clean-sweep defeat.

Since his return to action, Shami has featured in one Ranji Trophy match, where he picked 7 wickets against Madhya Pradesh, and made his comeback in white-ball cricket with the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he has shown glimpses of his old self.

He has been tipped to make a return to the national team for the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with speculation mounting over his inclusion in India's Test squad. However, this latest injury scare has once again raised concerns over his fitness and whether he will be able to reclaim a spot in the national team.

MP beat Bengal

Meanwhile, despite Shami’s 9-run penultimate over, Madhya Pradesh went on to win the thrilling encounter by seven wickets, thanks to a solid chase led by Rajat Patidar (68 off 40) and Subhransu Senapati (50 off 33).

Their partnership put MP on track for a 190-run chase, and even though the game tightened towards the end, Venkatesh Iyer and Harpreet Singh Bhatia held their nerve to see MP through, keeping them unbeaten in Group A of the tournament.

Click here to read article