"All his ligaments were broken but he continued his rehab with a laugh on his face"- Mohammed Shami inspired by Rishabh Pant during injury recovery
Team India pacer Mohammed Shami opened up about taking inspiration from Rishabh Pant during his prolonged recovery from injury. Shami had been sidelined since the 2023 ODI World Cup with a left Achilles heel injury for which he underwent surgery.
His return was further delayed by swelling in his knees as India continued to play without the ace pacer. Meanwhile, Pant dealt with multiple ligament injuries following his horrific car accident in December 2022 that saw him miss competitive cricket for over a year.
When asked about his recovery from injury on the sidelines of an event in Gurgaon, Shami spoke about how Pant's demeanor inspired him.
"I had spent time with Rishabh at the National Cricket Academy, where he was doing the rehab after his injury. I have seen the images, which were so scary. What inspired me the most that I never saw him sad. All his ligaments were broken but he continued his rehab with a laugh on his face. It was a massive learning for me as well. His positive attitude taught me the importance of patience," he said via Indian Express.
Pant has made a stunning return from injury, enjoying a terrific IPL with the bat and helping India win the 2024 T20 World Cup.
The southpaw has also been at his best in Test cricket, scoring a century and a 99 in the three Tests against Bangladesh and New Zealand over the past month.
"I know everyone has been thinking about whether I will go to Australia or not but that series is still far away" - Mohammed Shami
Mohammed Shami wanted not to look too far ahead with the Australian tour on the horizon and instead focus on regaining full fitness by the day.
After India's shocking defeat in the series opener against New Zealand at Bengaluru, the 34-year-old was seen bowling to assistant coach Abhishek Nayar.
"I know everyone has been thinking about whether I will go to Australia or not but that series is still far away. The only thing I want to focus on is how to keep myself fit and how to get as strong as I can for the tour. I know what kind of an attack we want for that Test series, so it’s better for me to work on the nuances and spend some more time on the ground before going," Shami said in the same interaction.
"If I get fit and I get a gap of eight to ten days, then it’s better that I play one or two domestic matches before going to Australia. I want to spend as much time as I can on the ground before going for the Australia series," he added.
The highly anticipated India-Australia five-Test series down under starts in Perth on November 22.