Rohit Sharma: A day before the first Test match against New Zealand, captain Rohit Sharma has made a big statement on Mohammad Shami. He said that he is not in favor of taking Shami on the Australian tour. Rohit believes that Shami is not fully fit yet.

IND vs NZ: Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma: A day before the home Test series against New Zealand, Indian captain Rohit Sharma has made a big statement about Mohammed Shami . He said that he is not in favor of taking Shami to Australia for the Border Gavaskar Trophy. When Rohit was asked about the rehab of fast bowler Shami, he confirmed that the fast bowler will not go to Australia with the team for the 5-match Border-Gavaskar Test series. Shami has been away from cricket since the 2023 ODI World Cup. On many occasions, the return of this experienced fast bowler was talked about, but his return could not happen.

Rohit Sharma: Rohit does not want to field a weak Shami

At the pre-match press conference in Bengaluru, Rohit Sharma confirmed that he is not keen on bringing Shami for the Test series in Australia even if he is fit. The reason behind this decision is that Shami is 'undercooked' as he has not played cricket for a long time. Rohit said, "Honestly, it is difficult to decide on him for the Australia series. He had an injury and his knees were swollen. This worsened his condition a bit and he had to start again. He is at the NCA with doctors and physios. We do not want to take a weak Shami to Australia. We are hoping that he will play."

India vs New Zealand: Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma: Shami will return when he is 100 percent fit

Rohit Sharma said, "He was in the process of getting fit, getting close to 100 percent, there was swelling in his knee, which delayed his recovery a bit. So, he had to start again. Right now he is at the NCA, he is working with physios and doctors at the NCA." Rohit even said that the team management wants Shami to be fully fit before returning to the national team. He said, "We are hoping that he becomes 100 percent fit. We do not want to send a weak Shami to Australia, it will not be the right decision for us."

Rohit Sharma: Shami will play the first practice match

Rohit said, "It is very difficult for a fast bowler because he has missed a lot of cricket and then suddenly performing his best, it is not ideal." The staff of the National Cricket Academy is constantly working with Shami and the fast bowler is also expected to play some internal matches to prove his fitness. He said, "We want to give him enough time to recover and be 100 percent fit. Physio, trainer and doctors have prepared a roadmap for him. He will have to play some practice matches before playing international cricket."

Rohit Sharma: Shami breaks his silence on fitness

Earlier, when reports of Shami not being fully recovered surfaced, the fast bowler had denied these reports and said that he is not yet out of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Shami wrote on Twitter (formerly Twitter), "Why such baseless rumours? I am working hard and trying my best to recover. Neither BCCI nor I have mentioned that I am out of the Border Gavaskar Series. I request the public not to pay attention to such news from unauthorized sources. Please stop and do not spread such false news, especially without my statement." However, now Rohit has confirmed that Shami is very unlikely to play against Australia.