According to Mohammed Shami, the Indian pacer, he thought the end of his international career had come after an ankle injury sustained during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2023. He had a nearly year-long journey, fighting self-doubt and going through the rigors of rehabilitation processes designed to prolong a glorious career.
Recovery was no easy feat for Shami, who recently made his international comeback last month, where he participated in four white-ball matches against England. The fast bowler showed huge effort for his fitness, practicing in the nets with a knee cap and extra layer of protection around his ankle.
Mohammed Shami’s recovery has been on the brink, and now he steps up to the challenge in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 opener versus Bangladesh in Dubai on Thursday. The seasoned pace ace is looking forward to making a huge difference and starting the Indian campaign with a win.
“Being injured was really tough”- Mohammed Shami
Mohammed Shami, a right-arm seamer for India, said before the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 match against Bangladesh that there were moments when he believed his international career was gone and he would never have another chance to play for his country.
“From being in great form during the World Cup to suddenly finding myself on the operating table from that form to being injured was really tough. My first question to the doctor was ‘how many days until I can be back on the field’. He said my priority is to get you to walk, then jog and then run and thinking about playing competitive cricket is still a distant goal,” Mohammed Shami told the ICC.
“I always wondered when I would be able to put my feet on the ground again someone who is used to running on the field constantly was now in crutches. A lot of thoughts used to run through my mind. Will I be able to do it again? Will I be able to walk without a limp? For the first two months, I often doubted whether I would be able to play again as an injury like this, followed by a 14-month break, can pull you down,” Mohammed Shami added.
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