Senior India pacer Mohammad Shami has been out of action for almost a year as he was dealing with an ankle injury.

Despite showing positive signs of recovery, the right-arm quick has not been included in Bengal's squad for the next two Ranji Trophy fixtures against Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.

Last month, Shami revealed at an event that he had resumed bowling at full tilt and would like to play a few domestic matches to prove his fitness. However, his absence from the squad suggest that he is not ready for competitive cricket yet.

While it was the ankle injury that troubled Shami for the past one year, the pacer now has picked a fresh injury that has further delayed his comeback.

According to a Times of India report, Shami has developed a side strain, ruling him out of Bengal's next two Ranji Trophy matches. As a result, his chances of being included in the India squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, starting November 22, has all but ended.

Notably, Shami was not named in the squad announced for the Australia tour, but there were hopes of his return midway through the series after a good outing in domestic cricket.

Mohammad Shami’s fresh injury comes as a major blow to the Indian team ahead of the Australia Test tour. India have won the last two Test series on Australian soil. However, the situation is a lot different this time around as the Rohit Sharma-led side will travel Down Under on the back of a first-ever 0-3 whitewash on home soil.

India lost the Test matches against New Zealand in Bengaluru, Pune and Mumbai. This outcome also marked the end of their remarkable streak of 18 consecutive home Test series victories.