Putting an end to the speculations around Mohammed Shami’s return to international cricket for the fourth and fifth Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, BCCI’s medical team has ruled the star quick out of the tour due to swelling on his left knee.

The BCCI update on Shami’s fitness has come days after India skipper Rohit Sharma called on the National Cricket Academy to provide an update on the seamer’s progress upon being asked once again about his availability at the end of the drawn Brisbane Test.

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“Shami bowled 43 overs in the Ranji Trophy match for Bengal against Madhya Pradesh in November. Following this, he played in all nine games of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he also engaged in additional bowling sessions on the sidelines to build his bowling volume in order to get ready for the Test matches,” the BCCI said in a statement.

“However, his left knee has exhibited minor swelling due to increased joint loading from his bowling workload. The swelling is on the expected lines, owing to the increased bowling after a prolonged period.

“Based on the current medical assessment, the BCCI medical team has determined that his knee requires more time for controlled exposure to bowling loads. Consequently, he has not been deemed fit for consideration for the remaining two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy,” the statement added.

Shami has been out of international cricket since the ODI World Cup final in November last year, after which he underwent surgery for a heel injury in February.

The BCCI said he had “completely recovered” from the heel injury and would “continue to undergo targeted strength and conditioning work under the guidance of the medical staff at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence and build his bowling loads needed to meet the demands of the longest format of the game”.

Shami was not included in Bengal’s squad for their first game of the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy on December 21 and the BCCI said his participation in the tournament would depend on the condition of his knee.

Kotian to join India squad ahead of MCG Test

Mumbai’s uncapped off-spinning all-rounder Tanush Kotian is set to link up with the Indian team in Australia ahead of the Boxing Day Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The 26-year-old Kotian has been one of India’s best off-spinning all-rounders in the domestic circuit, and his call-up to the Test side follows Ravichandran Ashwin’s mid-series international retirement last week in Brisbane.

Kotian was previously part of the India A team, which toured Australia ahead of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. He was with the Mumbai’s Vijay Hazare Trophy squad in Ahmedabad when he was drafted into the national set-up.

A right-handed batter and off-spinner, Kotian has featured in 33 first-class games, scoring 1525 runs at an average of 41.21 and picking 101 wickets at an average of 25.70. He was awarded the Player of the Tournament in Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy-winning campaign in 2023-24, where he amassed 502 runs at an average of 41.83 and picked 29 wickets at 16.96.

Kotian’s addition will boost the Indian team’s spin-bowling strength that already has Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar in the mix.