Shami’s Career Under Spotlight After Selectors’ Plan
Mohammed Shami has not played for India since the Champions Trophy final against New Zealand last year. According to sources, the Bengal seamer’s international career has all but ended.
The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee was concerned about Shami’s fitness during the Champions Trophy, where he ended joint-highest wicket-taker for India. The right-arm seamer returned to domestic cricket and performed admirably for Bengal. He took 37 wickets in the Ranji Trophy last year and also played effectively in white-ball formats.
However, he has repeatedly been overlooked when India’s squads have been announced, whether for white-ball cricket or the longest format. After being spurned for the Test tour of Sri Lanka next month, Sportstar reported that Indian selectors had already identified a pool of 15 promising fast bowlers across formats who will form the foundation of India’s pace attack in the coming years.
Shami is allegedly not a part of those long-term goals.
The article further stated that the selectors have begun planning for the 2027 ODI World Cup and the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.
The shift inside the Indian team is already beginning, and the selectors are aiming to back young players rather than depending on experienced combatants.
Ashok Sharma, Gurnoor Brar, Mayank Yadav, and Prince Yadav have all delivered strong performances in recent series. Rasikh Salam Dar and Kartik Tyagi are two young pacers who have excelled in the Indian Premier League this year and are now awaiting opportunities to play international cricket.
Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj are among the most experienced pacers. Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana have both been playing for quite some time.
Apart from Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been pressing for a comeback, particularly following his outstanding performance for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2026. However, the current selection committee may not want to bring him back and continue investing in young.
