'Grateful to be Back in India': Mohammed Shami 'Ready to Embrace Next Chapter' After Surgery

India fast bowler Mohammed Shami is back in India after undergoing surgery on his heel in London. Shami reportedly took injections to deal with the pain of an ankle injury throughout the 2023 ODI World Cup as he finished as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker.

To address the problem, Shami reportedly traveled to London where a surgery was performed on his achilles tendon.

“Grateful to be back in India after surgery. Feeling stronger and ready to embrace this next chapter. Thank you to everyone for your support and love!” Shami wrote on social media while sharing a couple of pictures from the flight back home.

Earlier this week, the BCCI said the pacer will not take part in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League.

“The fast bowler (Shami) successfully underwent surgery on February 26th, 2024, for his right heel problem. He is currently being monitored by the BCCI medical team and is ruled out of the upcoming IPL 2024,” BCCI said in a statement.

Shami’s absence will be a big blow to Gujarat Giants who made it to the finals of the last two seasons. The 2022 champions traded star allrounder Hardik Pandya who led them to IPL title win in debut season.

The 33-year-old Shami took 24 wickets at the ODI World Cup last year playing a prominent role in India’s unbeaten run to the final. He then missed the tour of South Africa and five-match Test series against England at home recently because of the ankle issue.

Shami was recently conferred with the Arjuna Award. He made his India debut in 2013 and has since picked up a combined 448 wickets across formats.

Meanwhile, fast bowler Prasidh Krishna will also miss the entire IPL 2024 as he recovers after undergoing surgery on his left proximal quadriceps tendon. Krishna picked up the injury during a Ranji Trophy clash between Karnataka and Gujarat in January this year.