Zaheer Khan

Calcutta: Speedster Zaheer Khan’s remarkably quick recovery from shoulder surgery and his quickly getting into form (seven wickets for Mumbai against Punjab) has encouraged the national selectors to “very strongly consider” picking him for the Test series against Sri Lanka.

The squad for the first Test of the three-match series, in Ahmedabad from November 16, will be picked in Mumbai on Tuesday.

“As of now, one could say that Zaheer is set for a Team India comeback... If the selectors start having second thoughts, it would only be out of concern over his throwing from the deep,” a well-placed source told The Telegraph on Saturday.

Zaheer injured his left (bowling) shoulder while fielding for the Mumbai Indians in this year’s IPL and, while he did play in the World T20 after that, he hasn’t worn the India cap for almost five months now.

The spearhead has had to miss the ODI series in the West Indies, the triangular contest in Sri Lanka, the Champions Trophy in South Africa and the ongoing ODIs against Australia.

To say that Mahendra Singh Dhoni has felt the absence of Zaheer would be a gross understatement.

Like Yuvraj, Zaheer (31) has completed nine years of international cricket. Both made their debut in the October 2000 ICC KnockOut in Nairobi.

But for injuries, Zaheer would’ve played far more than 65 Tests and 162 ODIs.