'We have been told...': Chief selector Ajit Agarkar explains Mohammed Shami's absence from India's ODI squad for AFG series

The BCCI has announced India's squad for the upcoming ODI and Test series against Afghanistan, which will start after the conclusion of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. The one-off Test match will start from June 6, followed up with a three-game ODI series.

Why no Mohammed Shami?

It was expected that star pacer Mohammed Shami will also find a place in the ODI squad after playing wonderfully in the ongoing IPL season for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), where has been consistently picking wickets with the new ball. However, the luck wasn't favoring the right-arm pacer, as he couldn't find a spot in the 15-player squad.

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Today at the press conference, chief selector Ajit Agarkar shed some light on Mohammed Shami's absence despite good outings for LSG. On being asked about Shami, Agarkar said that the selection committee has been informed that the star India pacer is ready for T20 at this point in time, so no discussion regarding him took place during the meeting.

"We have been told that at this point, T20 cricket is what he is ready, so there was no discussion regarding Mohammed Shami," said Ajit Agarkar.

Notably, Mohammed Shami was last seen in the ODI jersey in India's ICC Champions Trophy's triumph. In the marquee event, Shami played a key role taking nine wickets in just five outings, finishing as India's joint-highest wicket-taker.

His best bowling figures of 5/53 came against Bangladesh in a league stage game.

How Mohammed Shami has fared in IPL 2026

After being acquired for Rs 10 crore by LSG, Mohammed Shami managed to put on a decent show in the 2026 edition so far. The right-arm pacer has picked 10 wickets in 12 outings at an economy rate of 9.36. His best bowling figures of 2/9 came against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

India's ODI squad for Afghanistan series:

Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vc), KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey