As the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is around the corner, the runners-up of the previous edition, Gujarat Titans have suffered a major blow. Star pacer Mohammed Shami has been ruled out of IPL 2024 due to an ankle injury. GT, who were the champions of their inaugural IPL season in 2022, will now miss the services of their spearhead pacer Shami, after they have already traded the former skipper Hardik Pandya to Mumbai Indians ahead of the upcoming season.
Mohammed Shami, who had a record-breaking ODI World Cup in 2023, sustained a knee injury during the tournament. He hasn’t been seen playing professional cricket after the World Cup final against Australia in Ahmedabad on 19th November, 2023. According to a BCCI source, Shami is on the sideline for the upcoming season of the IPL and requires ankle surgery. According to the source, the fast bowler also took the injection to overcome the Injury but it didn’t work.
“Shami was in London in the last week of January to take special ankle injections and he was told that after three weeks, he can start light running and take it from thereon. But the injection hasn’t worked and now the only option left is surgery. He will shortly leave for the UK for surgery. IPL seems out of question,”
the BCCI source was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
“Shami should have gone directly for surgery and that should have been NCA’s call. Just two months of rest and injections wouldn’t have worked well and that’s what has happened. He is an asset and the Indian team would need him in Australia,” he further added.
Mohammed Shami finished as the leading wicket-taker in IPL 2023 with 28 scalps from 17 matches at an average of 18.64. The right-hand pacer also delivered a breathtaking performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup by finishing as a leading wicket taker of the tournament, by playing half of the matches. He took 24 wickets from seven matches at an average of 10.7. He registered the best figures by an Indian bowler in ODI by taking 7 wickets for 57 runs in the semi-final against New Zealand in Mumbai and helped India to get into their fourth World Cup final. The 33-year-old was also honored with Arjuna Award for his unforgettable performances for the Indian in the Indian cricket team in 2023.