Mohammed Shami hasn’t played a Test match for India since June 2023. His struggles with injury post the ODI World Cup had sidelined him for red-ball cricket. Last year, he returned to the Ranji Trophy with hopes of donning the whites again. In the lead-up to his return to domestic cricket, India’s chief selector Ajit Agarkar had stated .
Shami’s red-ball return
This wasn’t just applicable for Test cricket but also ODIs. Shami wasn’t pleased with the assessment. He fired back, claiming that he was playing all forms of cricket for Bengal. Fired up, the veteran fast bowler finished with 37 wickets in 7 matches, including a career-best of 8/90 against eventual champions Jammu and Kashmir.
However, Shami did miss two matches. Although he was adamant he was fit, Bengal coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla rested him for two group stage games. Moreover, he often left the field after his spells. It was clear that while Shami was fit, he wasn’t his usual best, despite the wicket’s column suggesting otherwise.
“We can’t make Shami play all seven matches, though he keeps saying he’s fit and wants to play every game. The way he’s running in is unbelievable. Even after 500 wickets, he’s in fantastic rhythm and playing with complete calmness,” Shukla had said during the first leg of the Ranji Trophy season.
Mohammed Shami stats in Ranji Trophy 2025-26
| Matches | Innings | Overs | Wickets | Best Figures | Average | Economy | Strike Rate | 4w | 5w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 13 | 230.3 | 37 | 8/90 | 16.72 | 2.68 | 37.37 | 1 | 3 |
Agarkar’s reason for Test snub
That’s exactly the information Agarkar received before one-off Test was picked. The medical team still doesn’t believe that Shami’s body can sustain the grind of international ODI and Test cricket without breaking down. Moreover, he isn’t a future bet either. He’ll turn 36 in September. Banking on him doesn’t seem to be a call that’ll pay dividends.
“No (discussions on Shami’s Test return). As far as we have been told, at this point…his body is allowing him to (play). I know he has played a domestic season this year. But from the information that I have got, at this point, it’s T20 cricket that he’s sort of ready for. So, there was no discussion regarding him,” Agarkar told reporters in Guwahati on May 19.
‘It’s nonsense’ – Wasim Jaffer unsold
However, Agarkar’s former India teammate Wasim Jaffer isn’t sold. He believes talking about Shami’s lack of fitness is an excuse. The former Punjab Kings batting coach wouldn’t have had an issue if the selection committee had simply moved on from Shami, but to claim that he isn’t fit when he took Bengal to the Ranji Trophy semifinal isn’t a justified reason to snub him.
“It’s nonsense. A guy (Shami) who played the entire season took 40-plus wickets – what more can he do? And we are talking about Shami, not just any player. He has been a proven performer, has won India matches singlehandedly, and took them into the 2023 World Cup final on his own. It’s disrespectful to Shami, to be honest. At one point, you asked people to show their fitness and play first-class cricket. Now that the guy has proved it, you’re claiming he’s only fit for T20 cricket. What can I say? It’s nonsense”
“It’s just an excuse to not pick him. You should be clear if you don’t consider him for Test cricket. ‘We have overlooked Shami’ – That would be a fair statement. Rather than giving excuses. He has proven his fitness by playing in the Ranji Trophy; he took Bengal into the semifinal and spearheaded their bowling attack,” Jaffer said on his YouTube channel.
