IND vs SA: Mohammed Shami, Deepak Hooda set to miss T20I series, Shreyas Iyer likely inclusion

India's fast bowling ace Mohammed Shami is set to miss the upcoming T20I series against South Africa as the pacer has not yet recovered from his Covid-19 infection. Shami did not feature in the recently concluded series against defending World Champions Australia owing to the untimely infection. Deepak Hooda joined the pacer in the infirmary after suffering a back injury, which ruled him out from the final T20I against Australia in Hyderabad. Shreyas Iyer is likely to replace the hard-hitting batter in the series, set to commence on the 28th of September.

Mohammed Shami's return to T20Is has been prolonged further with his last appearance in the format coming in last year's T20 World Cup. The right-arm quick has not been in the plans of the team management for the T20Is and was named among the standby players for the upcoming ICC mega event in Australia. There is still no news about the pacer's fitness, with his involvement in the T20 World Cup in hanging in the balance.

"There is no medical update about the time that will take for him to be fully fit but currently it does not look good," a source close to Cricbuzz said.

Shreyas Iyer set to replace Deepak Hooda in the SA series

Meanwhile, Deepak Hooda, who missed the last T20I between India and Australia due to back issues, has also not traveled with the Indian squad, who landed in Thiruvananthapuram for their first T20I against the Proteas. Hooda is set to give the National Cricket Academy (NCA) a visit, seeking medical attention for his back injury.

"Deepak Hooda wasn't available for selection for this game owing to a back injury," the BCCI statement on Sunday read. 

Shreyas Iyer, who was named as a standby for the upcoming series, is the most likely replacement for Hooda in the series. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to release an official statement in regards to the injuries, but it looks highly unlikely that the aforementioned duo will play any part in the forthcoming three-match T20I series against South Africa.