India's experienced pacer Mohammed Shami continues to face snub from the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee. The selectors had flagged fitness issues but Shami has been playing domestic cricket across formats to prove otherwise. As Shami claimed an eight-wicket haul in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 semifinal against Jammu & Kashmir, his coach Badruddin Siddiqui feels that it seems like the selectors have forgotten him.
“Mujhe bhi wohi lagta hai ke selectors ab usse bhool gaye hain (I feel the selectors have forgotten about him),” Badruddin told the Indian Express on February 17.
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Shami registered his career-best figures of eight wickets for 90 runs, helping Bengal take a 26-run lead. While the pacer has fallen off the selectors' radar, Badruddin said that it is tough for him. However, he doesn't see any other option than letting the ball do the talking.
“It’s tough for him. It’s tough for me as well. He hasn’t made it back to the Indian team despite performance. He doesn’t have any other option and he has to keep performing and wait. What else can I say? Even today he took 8 wickets and bowled more than 20 overs so fitness is not the issue for sure,” Badruddin said.
No like-for-like replacement for Shami?
Shami has been absent from Indian squad since the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 triumph. Badruddin believes that the Indian team is yet to find his like-forlike replacement. He wonders why Shami is still sitting out despite India’s dismal show in the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle.
“I also think that we don’t have a bowler like him in the Indian team yet. If we get a bowler like him, I can understand. We are losing Test matches at home. Even after that, they are making a bowler like Shami, a master of the red-ball, sit out,” Badruddin said.
“We have lost to South Africa and New Zealand but still he was snubbed. I keep telling him to perform. How long will he be ignored?” he questioned.
Bengal lose control in semifinal
At the end of Day 3’s play, Jammu & Kashmir were 43/2, needing 83 more runs to win. After Shami's eight-fer, Bengal suffered a collapse and were bundled out for 99 in 25.1 overs.
After the Ranji Trophy, Shami will be next seen in action in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 donning the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) jersey.