Team India enters the New Year with a few losses in the shape of Mohammed Shami and Suryakumar Yadav, among others.
Given the complexities of their injuries, neither player is even close to returning to competitive cricket.
Shami allegedly played despite an ankle ailment during the 2023 ODI World Cup campaign, which required treatment after the competition.
After visiting with a consultant in Mumbai, the right-arm pacer missed the whole South African trip.
According to the Indian Express, Shami will also miss the first two Tests of the home series against England,
which begins on January 25 in Hyderabad.
Although the spinners will be the emphasis of the five-match Test series on the subcontinent, the pacers will also demand rotation.
The forthcoming T20I series against Afghanistan will be played without Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
Prasidh Krishna and Mukesh Kumar, who recently played in South Africa, will join the Test team to balance out the speed department.
Shami hasn’t even begun bowling yet; he’ll have to go to NCA and demonstrate his fitness.
According to an Indian board source, he is questionable for the first two Tests against England.
Shami appeared in four Tests in 2023, the most recent of which being the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia at The Oval.
He was initially chosen for the South Africa Tests as well, but his inclusion was conditional on his fitness.
Suryakumar Yadav is expected to be sent abroad for surgery by BCCI
Suryakumar Yadav injured his ankle during the third and final Twenty20 International against South Africa at the
Wanderers and was thus left out of the team for the forthcoming three-match series against Afghanistan, which begins on January 11th.
However, the No. 1 rated T20I hitter is also suffering from a hernia that will necessitate surgery.
The BCCI medical staff is constantly monitoring Suryakumar Yadav, who is expected to be transported abroad for the surgery.
Yadav, on the other hand, will take longer than projected. It might take up to nine weeks after his hernia surgery for him to begin exercising.
According to the source, he hopes to be fit for the IPL. Suryakumar Yadav was not anticipated to feature in the England Test series.
The 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) appears to be the best opportunity for him to make a comeback and get in
shape for the 2024 T20 World Cup in June.
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