Bengal head coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla isn’t pleased with the selection committee. Earlier today, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced India’s squad for the New Zealand ODI series.
Reports had suggested that Mohammed Shami would make a comeback to the Indian team. The veteran pacer was part of the 2025 Champions Trophy-winning team but hasn’t featured for the Men in Blue. Chairman of Selectors Ajit Agarkar had previously iterated that fitness remains the reason behind Shami’s exclusion.
Shami, unfairly treated?
However, Shami has been playing non-stop cricket since the start of the 2025-26 domestic season. He has been Bengal’s second-highest wicket-taker in the Ranji Trophy and the highest wicket-taker in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Neither fitness nor form remains an issue. But Shami continues to be neglected.
The selection committee has decided to put its faith in young fast bowlers. Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Harshit Rana have been picked against New Zealand. Considering there’s ample time to prepare for the 2027 ODI World Cup, the BCCI has decided to rest its spearhead, Jasprit Bumrah.
Laxmi Ratan Shukla doesn’t think ignoring Shami is the right call. In fact, he labelled his snub as ‘shameful’. He thinks it sends the wrong signal to domestic performers, who have been toiling hard. But this applies more so in Shami’s case, who has won countless matches for India.
“The selection committee has done injustice with Mohammed Shami. No international player has played domestic cricket with as much dedication as Shami in the recent past. Even after toiling hard in domestic, what the selection committee has done with Shami is shameful,” the Bengal head coach told RevSportz.
One can assume that BCCI wants to plan for the future. There’s no guarantee that Shami’s body will hold up for the next ODI World Cup. Keeping that in mind, you have to give chances to bowlers like Prasidh and Harshit, who have played just a handful of ODIs and need experience.
India’s ODI squad for New Zealand series
Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wk), Shreyas Iyer (vc)*, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal
Note: *Shreyas Iyer’s availability is subject to fitness clearance from BCCI COE
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