Earlier today, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the white-ball squads for the upcoming Australia series away from home. One of the names missing from both formats was Mohammed Shami.
The veteran pacer was part of India’s successful Champions Trophy campaign but has been out of the scheme of things since. Shami had a lacklustre Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season for his new team, the Sunrisers Hyderabad. This was followed by a snub from the England tour.
Then came the 2025 T20 Asia Cup and the West Indies Test series, neither of which he was selected for. He was selected for the Duleep Trophy but had a woeful outing for East Zone, where he took 1 wicket in 34 overs. Subsequently, Shami wasn’t selected for India A or the Rest of India.
End of the road for Mohammed Shami?
The writing’s on the ball. The management and selectors have decided to move on. Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar also thinks so. “Yes, I think so,” he told Sport Today after being asked about Indian cricket moving on from Shami.
The cricket legend thinks injuries have been the reason behind Shami going down the pecking order. Since the 2023 ODI World Cup, the fast bowler has been dealing with constant setbacks. Despite finally gaining fitness after over a year, Shami just hasn’t been his old self. Gavaskar thinks the road back doesn’t exist and lauded his exploits for India.
“In Mohammed Shami’s case, it’ll be a real uphill climb for him. It’s going to be very, very tough. The injuries that he’s had don’t always help for a fast bowler; having an ankle, knee, and back injury is never easy to recover from. Perhaps that’s why he is not being considered now. But what a great and wonderful cricketer he has been for India,” he added.
Editor's Pick
Cricket
How Virat Kohli's 100 in Ranchi resulted in tickets for IND vs SA 3rd ODI getting sold out instantly
Top Stories
