India’s star pacer Mohammad Shami has been out of competitive action since the ODI World Cup final in November last year.

Shami underwent an operation on his Achilles tendon earlier this year. As a result, he missed the home Test series against England, followed by the IPL and the T20 World Cup.

Though Shami has recovered from the ankle injury, he is yet to return to competitive action. As per a PTI report, the veteran fast bowler is likely to represent his state team, Bengal, in the upcoming Ranji Trophy matches.

Shami will reportedly feature in at least one of Bengal's initial Ranji fixtures, either against UP on October 11 in an away game or versus Bihar in Kolkata on October 18. Given that there is a very little gap between the matches, it is unlikely that he will participate in both encounters.

Shami’s return to domestic cricket could pave the way for his international comeback, with a possible appearance in one of the three Tests against New Zealand at home in October-November.

Last month, Shami uploaded a video on Instagram, which showed his recovery process. In the clip, the right-arm quick can be seen cautiously bowling a few deliveries in the training nets.

According to the report, Shami is unlikely to be fit for the upcoming Duleep Trophy and the selectors are cautious about rushing his return prematurely.

The priority is to ensure that India's first-choice pace trio - Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, and Mohammed Siraj - are fully fit for the much-awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.

India will travel to Australia for five Test matches later this year. The eagerly-awaited series is slated to get underway on November 22 in Perth.

(With PTI Inputs)