Mohammed Shami’s return to competitive cricket was marred by a concerning injury scare during Bengal’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Madhya Pradesh on Friday. With Bengal needing to defend 22 runs in the penultimate over, Shami bowled with intensity, but his efforts were momentarily halted when he appeared to suffer pain in his lower back.
According to Sporstar, the India pacer was seen lying on the ground for treatment, causing a brief moment of panic in the Bengal camp. However, after receiving medical attention, Shami returned to finish the over.
His brief injury scare raised fresh questions about his fitness, especially as Shami has been making his way back into the domestic circuit after nearly a year away from competitive cricket due to an ankle injury and subsequent foot surgery.
Shami’s absence from international cricket over the past year has been significant, particularly given his integral role in India’s pace attack. He missed key series, including the away Test series against South Africa at the start of the year, and the five-Test home series against England. Shami also missed the three Tests against New Zealand at home, where India shockingly faced a 0-3 clean-sweep defeat.
Since his return to action, Shami has featured in one Ranji Trophy match, where he picked 7 wickets against Madhya Pradesh, and made his comeback in white-ball cricket with the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he has shown glimpses of his old self.
He has been tipped to make a return to the national team for the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with speculation mounting over his inclusion in India’s Test squad. However, this latest injury scare has once again raised concerns over his fitness and whether he will be able to reclaim a spot in the national team.
MP beat Bengal
Meanwhile, despite Shami’s 9-run penultimate over, Madhya Pradesh went on to win the thrilling encounter by seven wickets, thanks to a solid chase led by Rajat Patidar (68 off 40) and Subhransu Senapati (50 off 33).
Their partnership put MP on track for a 190-run chase, and even though the game tightened towards the end, Venkatesh Iyer and Harpreet Singh Bhatia held their nerve to see MP through, keeping them unbeaten in Group A of the tournament.
