Gujarat Titans suffered a major blow on Thursday 22 February when star seamer Mohammed Shami was ruled out of the 2024 IPL due to an ankle injury. A BCCI source confirmed the news. The right-arm seamer will travel to the UK for surgery.
The upcoming IPL 2024 season is set to begin soon, but it's a major setback for the Gujarat Titans as their leading wicket-taker from the previous season, Shami, is injured. Shami had an outstanding performance in IPL 2023, taking 28 wickets in 17 matches and earning the purple cap.
The news of his injury quickly spread across the internet, with fans taking to social media to react. Some fans even trolled MBA Chaiwala founder Praful Billore, who had recently posted a photo with the 33-year-old.
Shami's last game was in the final of the ICC World Cup 2023. Following the tournament, he travelled to London in the last week of January to receive treatment for his injury. Despite receiving injections, he has not recovered as expected, leading the board to send him to London for surgery.
According to a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) source, the doctors had advised him to start light running after three weeks. However, the injection was unsuccessful, and he now has no choice but to undergo surgery. He will soon return to the UK for the operation.
With the 2024 T20 World Cup less than four months away, this is a major setback for India.
Questions have been raised regarding the National Cricket Academy's (NCA) assessment of Mohammed Shami's injury. It appears that Shami is expected to return during the upcoming home Test tours against Bangladesh and New Zealand. The NCA should have recommended surgery instead of just prescribing rest and injections for two months, according to a BCCI source. The source believes that the decision has not been successful and that Shami is a valuable asset for the Indian team's upcoming tour of Australia.