India’s Test captain Rohit Sharma has provided a significant update regarding Mohammed Shami’s fitness as the fast bowler continues his recovery. With weeks to go before the much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) in Australia, Sharma confirmed that Shami might not be ready for the five-match Test series.

It must be noted that The pacer has been sidelined since the ODI World Cup 2023 and is still undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru after ankle surgery.

Speaking about Shami’s condition, Rohit Sharma shared that the pacer recently experienced a setback during his recovery, which could jeopardize his inclusion in the Australia tour.

"To be honest, it's pretty difficult for us to make a call on him, whether he would be fit for this series or the Australia series. He recently had a setback, he had a swelling in his knee which was quite unusual. When he was getting close to 100 percent, he had a swelling in his knee that put him back a little bit in his recovery. He had to start afresh," Sharma said during a press conference.

Shami, who played a vital role in India’s ODI World Cup campaign, took 24 wickets in seven matches at an average of 10.70. However, his absence from cricket for a year and the recent issues with his knee make it challenging for the management to take a risk on his fitness ahead of the crucial series.

"We don't want to bring an undercooked Shami to Australia. That's not going to be the right decision for us," added Rohit, emphasizing the importance of having a fully fit Shami.

The Much Awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy is set to begin on November 22 in Perth, and with high stakes involved, especially in the World Test Championship standings, India will be aiming to defend their title and secure a hat-trick of away series wins against Australia.