'Confident you'll overcome this injury with courage': PM Modi wishes Shami speedy recovery after ankle surgery

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday extended his well wishes to cricketer Mohammad Shami for a swift recovery following a successful surgery on his left Achilles tendon. Taking to X, previously known as Twitter, PM Modi conveyed his confidence in the veteran bowler's ability to overcome this injury with resilience.

"Wishing you a speedy recovery and good health, Mohammad Shami! I'm confident you'll overcome this injury with the courage that is so integral to you," wrote PM on X in response to Shami's post where he provided an update on his surgery.

The 33-year-old, whose last appearance for India was in the ODI World Cup final against Australia on November 19, underwent surgery in London on Monday. Shami, who is eager to "get back on my feet soon" stares at a recovery time of a minimum of three months.

"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 posed on X last night.

The surgery forces Shami to miss the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) and potentially the T20 World Cup scheduled for June in the Caribbean and USA.

Shami, a key figure in India's impressive ODI World Cup campaign with 24 wickets, persevered through pain due to landing issues, yet maintained a high level of performance.

In January, he traveled to London for specialized ankle injections to alleviate the discomfort, but unfortunately, the treatment proved ineffective, leading to the necessity of surgery.

The absence of Shami presents a significant setback for the Gujarat Titans, particularly following the transfer of all-rounder Hardik Pandya to the Mumbai Indians in a cash-only transaction. Shami played a pivotal role as the team's leading wicket-taker during their runner-up finish in the previous IPL season.

Recently honored with the Arjuna Award, Shami boasts an impressive tally of 229 Test, 195 ODI, and 24 T20 wickets throughout his illustrious decade-long career.

The situation brings into question the effectiveness of the injury rehabilitation program devised by the National Cricket Academy (NCA) for Shami.

The prospect of Shami returning before India's home Test matches against Bangladesh and New Zealand (scheduled for October-November) seems highly unlikely. Instead, his focus might shift towards preparing for the pivotal away series against Australia.

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• Cricket
• Mohammad Shami
• Narendra Modi