IND vs SA 2022: Team India's Mohammed Shami tests negative for COVID-19
Senior Team India pacer, Mohammed Shami, on Wednesday, September 28, announced that he had tested negative for COVID-19.
Shami shared a negative test report on his Instagram story to reveal that he has recovered from the coronavirus.
Notably, the seasoned campaigner had to miss the Men in Blue's recently concluded three-match T20I series against Australia due to COVID-19.
While the right-armer has tested negative for the novel virus ahead of the forthcoming T20I series, he is unlikely to feature against the Proteas. He could return to action in the subsequent three-match ODI series.
Rohit Sharma and Co. will be without Shami, Hardik Pandya, Deepak Hooda, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar for their upcoming assignment. The BCCI has added Shahbaz Ahmed, Umesh Yadav, and Shreyas Iyer to India's squad ahead of the T20I series opener.
🏻GAME DAY 💪🏻💪🏻
All set for the first T20I in Thiruvananthapuram
#TeamIndia | #INDvSA https://t.co/DAb2lks2Ry
India and South Africa will lock horns in the opening encounter of their series on Wednesday at the the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. The remaining two games will be played in Guwahati and Indore on October 2 and October 4, respectively.
Mohammed Shami expected to travel to Australia with Team India for the T20 World Cup 2022
Shami wasn't able to find a place in Team India's 15-member squad for the upcoming the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia next month. However, he has been named as one of the four standby players for the showpiece event and is expected to travel with the Indian contingent.
Shami is one of the notable absentees from India's main squad for the marquee T20 event. Many fans and critics alike backed him to make the cut for the all-important tournament, considering India's pace bowling woes.
The Bengal pacer's last T20I appearance came at last year's T20 World Cup in the UAE. He has since been ignored by the national selectors in the shortest format. However, he was impressive with the ball in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2022) earlier this year.
Mohammed Shami played a major role in the Gujrat Titans' (GT) title-winning campaign, emerging as a top performer for them. With 20 wickets from 16 outings, he was the leading wicket-taker for the franchise this season.