Mohammed Shami's availability for the upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa was a huge doubt when the squads were announced.
However, India have been dealt a huge blow as Shami has been ruled out from the Tests as he hasn't been able to recover from an injury.
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As reported by Cricbuzz, the 33-year-old was nursing an ankle injury following the World Cup and was a conditional selection in the squad.
BCCI are yet to name a replacement for the Uttar Pradesh right-arm quick.
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Mohammed Shami played the 2023 World Cup with ankle discomfort
It was also reported that Shami was not as his 100 per cent at the World Cup and played the entire tournament, where he finished with 24 wickets from seven games as the leading wicket-taker, with ankle pain. The landing on his right foot caused his a lot of discomfort, probably aggravating the pain and causing the injury.
The last batch of players that are set to leave South Africa include captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, Navdeep Saini, Harshit Rana, and Jasprit Bumrah. They will not not be accompanied by Shami, though.
It is expected that one of the bowlers from the limited-overs leg of the tour will slot in in Shami's absence.
India will take on the Proteas in the Boxing Day Test starting from December 26 at the SuperSport Cricket Stadium in Centurion, Gauteng, followed by the second Test at the Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town from January 3.
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