As per reports, Mohammed Shami is yet to recover from his ankle injury. Hence, he is set to miss the South Africa Tour. It will be a big blow for Team India to lose their in-form bowler. There are other options that India can consider. Here, we take a look at three players who could replace Mohammed Shami if he is ruled out of the South Africa Test series.
1) Navdeep Saini
Navdeep Saini is a part of this list mainly because of how the management sees him. Even in India’s previous Test assignment, Saini was a part of the squad. Hence, he could make the cut here, as well.
Saini is known for his pace. He can also hit the deck hard, just like Shami. While Prasidh Krishna is likely to play in Shami’s absence, Saini could also get a chance.
2) Avesh Khan
Avesh Khan is one of the players who could replace Mohammed Shami if he is ruled out of the South Africa Test series. The management rates Avesh Khan very highly. Hence, he could also get drafted to the squad.
Avesh is also someone who can bowl pace and hit the deck hard. He might need some more work as a red-ball bowler but there is potential in him.
3) Harshit Rana
It is high-time that India needs to groom bowling all-rounders. While he is not popular at it, Harshit Rana does have some decent batting skills. He also has an FC century to his name.
When it comes to his bowling, he possesses the edge that can trouble the batters. He is young and there is scope for development. Now that he is unlikely to get a chance in the XI despite Shami missing out, it would be a good idea to present him with the experience of the senior squad.
