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Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has backed out-of-favour pacer Mohammed Shami to make his comeback to Team India after a year-long absence. After his scintillating new-ball spell for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) against former franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Ganguly hailed Shami, saying that he should be bowling in tandem with Jasprit Bumrah for the Indian side.
"He should be bowling at the other end of Bumrah, nowhere else. That's how good he is. We all saw that spell the other night against SunRisers Hyderabad – four overs, nine runs against two of the best T20 players, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma. That was phenomenal," Ganguly said on the sidelines of Bengal Pro T20 League Season 3's inauguration.
Ganguly hails Shami’s run in domestic cricket
Ganguly pointed out that Shami has been consistently proving his mettle in domestic cricket. He lauded the 35-year-old's performance in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 semifinal against eventual winners Jammu & Kashmir.
"He had a strong Ranji Trophy season for Bengal. I still remember that semi-final - even though Bengal lost, he picked up eight wickets. He was instrumental in taking the team that far," he said.
Ganguly is ecstatic to see Shami giving importance to domestic cricket and believes that the pacer does not seem to have any fitness issues.
"I'm very happy he wants to keep playing in the Ranji Trophy. It's tough for a fast bowler, but there's nothing better than watching Mohammed Shami run in with the new ball," the former BCCI President said.
"He looks fit and sharp. After bowling consistently for months, you naturally reach peak conditions – no amount of training matches that. I wish him all the best and would love to see him back in India colours," he added.
Ganguly hopes Shami plays for India again
The last time Shami donned the Indian jersey was in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final against New Zealand. Ganguly wishes to see Shami get the nod from the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee.
"I still believe he should play for India. Hopefully, his time will come again because he's that good. When the ball comes out with that upright seam, it's a treat to watch," Ganguly further added.
LSG’s next clash
Meanwhile, the 35-year-old has taken three wickets from two games for LSG. He will be seen in action on his homeground, Kolkata's Eden Gardens on April 9 against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
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