In what comes as a big blow to the Gujarat Titans, star speedster Mohammed Shami is set to miss the entire IPL 2024 due to a left ankle injury he suffered during the 2023 ODI World Cup. Shami missing the entire IPL 2024 is not good news for the Gujarat-based team.
The 33-year-old picked up an ankle injury during the 2023 ODI World Cup, but he decided to play through it and set the stage on fire in the World Cup as he picked up 24 wickets and became the leading wicket-taker of the tournament. Shami was expected to play a crucial role with the ball for the Indian team in the test series against England and South Africa, but he needed to nurse his ankle injury, which forced him to miss both the test series.
According to multiple news reports, the Gujarat Titans pacer went to London in order to take injections for his ankle injury, but the injections didn’t show any kind of results, which has forced Shami to undergo surgery in order to fix his ankle. According to his high profile BCCI source, Shami will miss the entire IPL 2024, and he will not play any part in the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup as well.
“He (Mohammed Shami) was in London in the last week of January in order to take special ankle injections, and he was informed after three weeks that he could start doing light running and carry forward from there on. “But the injections have not yielded any kind of results, and the only option left for him is surgery. He will shortly leave for the UK to get the surgery done on his left ankle.He is for sure not going to play any part in the IPL 2024,” a senior BCCI figure told PTI.
Shami won the Purple Cap in last year’s IPL as he picked up 28 wickets in 17 games. He was Gujarat’s lead seamer, and his absence has left a huge void in GT’s bowling unit. This article will provide you with information regarding the three players Gujarat might sign to replace Shami in the IPL 2024.
3-players who can replace Mohammed Shami in Gujarat Titans
Josh Hazlewood
Hazlewood can prove to be an excellent replacement for the injured Mohammed Shami. The Aussie pacer was released by the Royal Challengers Bangalore ahead of IPL 2024 and went unsold in the IPL 2024 Auction. He brings a lot of experience with him and he can trouble the batsmen at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium with his ability to maintain a consistent line and length. GT can sign him to replace Shami’s experience in the bowling unit.
Raj Limbani
The young right-arm pacer Raj Limbani grabbed the attention of many cricket enthusiasts with his performances at the recently concluded 2024 Under-19 World Cup, where he dismissed batsman 11 times in six matches, which consisted of a three-wicket haul (3-38) against Australia U19 in the final and another three-wicket haul (3-60) against hosts South Africa in the semi-final at Benoni. Gujarat knows how to bring the best out of youngsters, as they have successfully nurtured young players such as Abhinav Manohar, Sai Sudharsan, and Sai Kishore. Gujarat can nurture Raj Limbani as well and bring the best out of his abilities.
Ishan Porel
Ishan Porel, the young pacer from Bengal, is really unlucky to have featured in just a single match in his IPL career. He made his IPL debut for the Punjab Kings against the Rajasthan Royals, and against them, he took one wicket and gave away 39 runs. After that match, he didn’t get a chance to play in any other match, and he went unsold in the 2024 IPL auction. Shami’s injury might open a chance for the 25-year-old to feature in the 17th season of the IPL, as Gujarat might sign him as a replacement for Mohammed Shami. Porel has played 29 T20 matches and has managed to pick up 40 scalps at an economy rate of 7.17.
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For more information, visit the official website of BCCI