January 22, 2025: Mohammed Shami recently spoke about his journey of recovery and return to the Indian national cricket team after undergoing ankle surgery that kept him sidelined for almost a year. Shami, who has been named in the India squad for the upcoming T20I series against England, emphasized that such challenges help athletes grow stronger mentally and physically.
In a video shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Shami said, “I waited for an entire year and I worked very hard… When you go through injuries, you grow stronger as an athlete. You have to repeat a lot of things while being mentally strong… whatever is done, it is done. I have crossed that phase. If you work hard, you will get the result.”
Shami had to overcome not only the physical toll of the injury but also the mental hurdles of rehabilitation. He recalled the fear he initially felt while running and expressed that it was difficult for any player to get injured after being in top form. He spent time at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) to recover and made his comeback to competitive cricket with Bengal in domestic tournaments like the Vijay Hazare Trophy and Ranji Trophy.
With Jasprit Bumrah out of the squad for the T20I series, Shami is expected to lead India’s pace attack in the five-match series starting on January 22 in Kolkata. This series will serve as a crucial build-up for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, where Shami has also been included in the squad.
The remaining matches of the series will be held in Chennai (January 25), Rajkot (January 28), Pune (January 31), and Mumbai (February 2). The series provides Shami with a valuable opportunity to showcase his form and cement his place in the national team for the future tournaments.