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Mohammed Shami walked off with an apparent injury during the 2025 Champions Trophy match against Pakistan in Dubai, causing concern among Indian fans. He returned after a couple of overs.
Mohammed Shami being tended to by the Indian physios (AP Photo)
In a major scare for India, ace pacer Mohammed Shami walked off with an apparent injury in the middle of his spell during the 2025 Champions Trophy clash against Pakistan on Sunday in Dubai. He eventually returned after a couple of overs but the fears of his absence were tangible on the faces of Indian fans and players.
It happened in the fifth over of the innings. After a wobbly start, where he looked out of rhythm, Shami beat Imam-ul-Haq a few times, making the Pakistani opener look quite uncomfortable against him. However, after the fourth ball, he seemed to bow down and hold his right ankle.
Team physios rushed in and tended to him for a bit before allowing him to complete the last two balls of the over. But soon after bowling the last ball, he walked off to the pavilion and didn’t return till the ninth over.
Though Shami returned and bowled another over, too, India will want to be cautious with him. He had injured his ankle during the 2023 World Cup and had to undergo surgery. His recovery was delayed multiple times as the ankle injury caused him occasional swelling in his knees, which kept on resurfacing even when he was playing domestic cricket. He only made his international comeback last month against England.
India are already missing the services of one senior pacer, Jasprit Bumrah, who is yet to recover fully from his back injury suffered in early January. He picked up five wickets in the last match against Bangladesh and looked back to his best rhythm.
“I have lost nine kgs (during rehabilitation). The most difficult thing is you have to challenge yourself. When you are in this condition… when I was at the NCA, it was a very difficult phase,” he had said before the Pakistan clash. “My weight was touching 90kgs. The best thing about me is that I do not crave delicacies. I stay away from sweets. I stay away from a lot of things, things that generally one shouldn’t eat. So, I stay away from them.”
India have a week-long break after this match and will host New Zealand in Dubai next Sunday. If Shami is unable to continue in the tournament, the team has Mohammed Siraj in the reserves and Arshdeep Singh on the bench.
