The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday (December 23) provided an update on senior pacer Mohammad Shami’s fitness.

The right-arm quick has not played for India since his appearance in the ODI World Cup final in November last year. He underwent an operation on his Achilles tendon earlier this year, and made his return to competitive action through the first phase of Ranji Trophy and the subsequently Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Bengal.

Speculations were rife that Shami might make his much-awaited comeback in the last two Tests of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but the board revealed that the fast bowler has developed a swelling in his left knee and won’t be able to travel to Australia.

“The BCCI Medical Team at the Centre of Excellence has been working closely with Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami on his recovery and rehabilitation after his right heel surgery. Shami has completely recovered from this heel problem,” the board said in a statement.

“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 (SMAT), 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.

“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,” it added.

Shami will 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. His participation in the Vijay Hazare Trophy will depend on the progress of his knee.

Meanwhile, Mumbai’s spin all-rounder Tanush Kotian is set to join the Indian squad in Australia for the remainder of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

This move comes after the legendary Ravichandra Ashwin called time on his international career at the end of the third Test at Gabba.

Kotian is expected to join the Indian contingent in Australia ahead of the Boxing Day Test at MCG. He will board the flight for Melbourne on Tuesday (December 23).

Kotian has played 33 first-class matches so far, amassing 1525 runs at an average of 41.21 and claiming 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 aggregated 502 runs at an average of 41.83 and picked 29 wickets at 16.96.