Mohammed Shami is in significant doubt for the Test series against South Africa, and it would not be surprising if he is ruled out of the two games.

According to Cricbuzz, the Indian pacer is suffering from an ankle injury and will not be flying to South Africa with the rest of the Test squad. The last group of players, including skipper Rohit Sharma, is set to depart for Johannesburg on Friday (December 15), but the experienced pacer, 33, will not be among them.

Apart from the captain, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, R Ashwin, Navdeep Saini, and Harshit Rana will fly to South Africa via Dubai on Friday. The selectors have yet to designate a replacement for Shami, but many players are already in South Africa for T20Is, ODIs, Tests, and A series, so one of the pacers might be co-opted into the Test squad. Over 75 Indian cricketers are currently on tour in South Africa.

Shami was a conditional pick for the Test series, and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made it known that Shami was getting treatment when the squads for the South Africa series were announced on November 30. According to a BCCI statement, “Mr. Mohd. Shami is currently undergoing medical treatment, and his availability is subject to fitness.”
The pacer was experiencing discomfort in his ankle, and it has come to light that he carried the World Cup workload in spite of it. Specifically, he was having trouble landing on his right foot at the delivery point.

The first of two Tests will take place on Boxing Day, December 26, at Centurion. The second Test is at Newlands in Cape Town, although there is a three-day game for Test picks beginning on December 20. Later that night, India will play the third and final T20I of the series against the Proteas at the Wanderers. The T20Is are followed by three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) on December 17, 19, and 21.