Bengaluru: Indian pace spearhead Mohammed Shami has said that he played with his knee injury during the World Cup as the team's chief wicket-taker did not want to disturb the winning momentum in the final stages of the showpiece event.
Forced to miss season eight of IPL, Shami underwent a surgery and is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore and is unlikely to be match-fit in time for India's tour of Sri Lanka in late July.
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The Bengal paceman though recalls his injury during the Australia series. "It was difficult to rest. We were struggling during the triangular series. And World Cup lay ahead. The way be began against Pakistan, we didn't want to lose that momentum. The only chance I got to rest was against UAE, and I took it," Shami told ESPNcricinfo.
"I was landing in the exact same spot as the Australian spinner [Nathan Lyon] did. That landing spot was up and down. It resulted in swelling. It kept on getting worse, but in the end it came to a stage during the World Cup where I found the momentum and the team found the momentum, and we didn't want to lose that. When we came back from the World Cup, then we did proper tests and found there was a tear in the knee," he added.
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The 25-year-old player said that missing the T20 extravaganza for Delhi Daredevils was also a frustrating time for the player. "To watch all the players play the IPL and you are sitting at home and watching on TV. That is one of the most difficult things to do for a player. Yet you have to realise that injuries are a fact of a sportsman's life. You have to keep that in mind. It was tough, it is tough, and now I am just waiting to get back on to the field," said Shami.
