Mohammed Shami Set To Miss IPL 2024 After Undergoing Surgery For Achilles Tendon

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Gujarat Titans' Indian pace spearhead Mohammed Shami is set to miss the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 after undergoing surgery for Achilles tendon in London.

There were reports about his unavailability for IPL 2024, and on Monday (February 26), Shami provided a huge update on his injury status. The pacer took to X (formerly Twitter) to reveal that he has undergone an operation on his Achilles tendon.

"Just had a successful heel operation on my achilles tendon! Recovery is going to take some time, but looking forward to getting back on my feet. #AchillesRecovery #HeelSurgery #RoadToRecovery," Shami posted on X.

Shami, who was one of the key members in India's run to ODI World Cup final, missed the home T20I series against Australia following the ICC event, and was ruled out of the South Africa tour. He also missed the Afghanistan series and is not part of the Test series against England.

The 33-year-old last represented India in the ODI World Cup final against Australia in November. The senior pacer finished as the tournament's highest wicket-taker and dismissed 24 batters in only 7 matches.

Shami, who took 24 wickets in India's spectacular World Cup campaign, played with agony due to landing issues but did not allow it to hinder his performance.

While he is on the road to recovery, the latest update has definitely ruled him out of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, and also puts his participation at the T20 World Cup 2024 in doubt.

This comes as a significant blow to the Gujarat Titans, who have already lost their title-winning skipper Hardik Pandya via a trade deal to Mumbai Indians. With a senior member like Shami's unavailabilty, it will be even more a challenge for Shubman Gill in his captaincy stint.

Shami contributed significantly to GT's success in both seasons. The 33-year-old bowler picked up 20 wickets in 2022 and followed it up with an even stronger performance in IPL 2023, taking 28 wickets at an average of 18.64.

Gujarat Titans still have good time to sign a replacement, but who they will target to fill in Shami's void is a big challenge. They currently have Umesh Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Kartik Tyagi, Darshan Nalkande and Sushant Mishra as their Indian pace options.

With Joshua Little and Spencer Johnson also in the squad alongside all-rounder Vijay Shankar and Azmatullah Omarzai, GT may look at other areas to strengthen if they don't find a good replacement.

Gujarat Titans could use Sarfaraz Khan, who is in good form, to add depth to their batting unit after the Indian cricketer was unsold during the IPL 2024 auction following his release from Delhi Capitals.