Famous Indian pacer Mohd Shami has been ruled out of the next two Test matches against South Africa due to his injury, which he sustained earlier in the year during the ODI World Cup. A further setback came when seamer Deepak Chahar pulled out of the Sunday-starting ODI series, citing a medical emergency in his family. In the ODI squad against the Proteas, rising Bengal fast bowler Akash Deep will start in place of Chahar, according to an announcement made by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
“Due to a family medical emergency, Deepak Chahar has notified the BCCI that he will be unavailable for the forthcoming ODI series. Akash Deep has been selected by the Men’s Selection Committee to take his place,” the BCCI said in a statement.
After evaluating Shami’s recuperation and fitness, the top body that oversees Indian cricket further declared that the BCCI Medical Team had not cleared him for the next Test series. The BCCI also revealed that Shreyas Iyer will not be available for the second and third ODIs and will instead be joining the red-ball squad to get ready for the Test series.
“The fast bowler Mohd Shami is out of the two Tests after failing to receive clearance from the BCCI Medical Team to play in the Test series. Shreyas Iyer will join the Test squad to get ready for the Test series after the first ODI in Johannesburg concludes on December 17. He will participate in the inter-squad match but won’t be available for the second or third ODI, according to the BCCI’s statement.
The Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg will host the opening match of the ODI series on Sunday. The second and third matches will take place on December 19 and December 21, respectively. The first red-ball match is scheduled to begin on December 26, and the second Test is scheduled to begin on January 3.