'Doors open for Mohammed Shami but he developed swelling': Rohit Sharma on pacer's potential return

India captain Rohit Sharma opened up on the potential return of Mohammed Shami to the Indian team for the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Shami, who has been out of International action since the ODI World Cup 2023, is back in action in the domestic circuit but has not made a national return.

Rohit spoke about Shami and his fitness after India suffered a humiliating defeat in the second Test in Adelaide. The Indian skipper revealed that the star pacer has again developed swelling in his knee. 

"We are just monitoring him because while playing Syed Mushtaq Ali, he got some swelling in his knee, which hampers his preparation to come and play a Test match. We want to be very careful, we don't want to bring him here, he pulls up sore or something happens,"  Rohit said on Shami at the post-match press conference in Adelaide.

Rohit added that the team wants to be 100% sure about Shami and doesn't want to rush him. "We want to be more than 100% sure with him because it has been a long time. We don't want to put pressure on him to come here and do the job for the team. There are some professionals monitoring, we will take a call based on what those guys feel. 

"They are the ones watching him every game, how he pulls up after the game, after bowling four overs, standing for 20 overs. But the door is open for him to come and play anytime," he said.

Shami suffered an ankle injury last year for which he underwent surgery. He was out of action for almost a year and made a return in the fifth round of the Ranji Trophy for Bengal. He is playing in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy too and is now set to feature in the pre-quarterfinals against Chandigarh on December 9. 

His fitness will be under keen observation of the BCCI medical team and physios if they have to fly him to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy which is now levelled 1-1 after India's loss in Adelaide.