Veteran India pacer Mohammed Shami has been in superb form in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) and has racked up 16 wickets in 7 matches so far in the tournament. Though Bengal failed to qualify for the next stage and finished sixth on the Elite Group C, Shami was one of their top performers without any doubt. His standout performances in the SMAT include 4-wicket hauls against both Services and Haryana.
Despite his impressive display in both SMAT and Ranji Trophy, Shami has continued to be snubbed from the Indian team in all the three formats. This has left former India captain Sourav Ganguly very confused and he has now urged the selectors to pick the 35-year-old in the national team.
“I’m sure the selectors are watching. I’m sure there is communication between Mohammed Shami and selectors; I don’t know. But if you ask me, in terms of fitness and skills, it’s the Mohammed Shami we know of. So I really don’t see any reason why can’t he keep playing Test matches and one-day and T20 cricket for India because the skill is enormous,” Ganguly said during an event.
Shami's long wait for his international return continues
Shami's last appearance for India came in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy final against New Zealand in March. Though he finished as the side's joint-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with nine scalps, he was not picked for any of their assignments across the three formats.
With Team India recently coming under immense scrutiny for the lack of experience in their bowling attack, there are chances for Shami to make his long-awaited return to the team in the coming future. Both Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj need support when it comes to Tests and Shami could be the one to play that role.
Shami's record in international cricket
Shami has quite a bit oif experience when it comes to all the three formatsas he has so far played 64 Tests, 108 ODIs and 25 T20Is. He is one of India's highest wicket-taking pacers in history with a total of 435 scalps under his name in international cricket so far. It remains to be seen if he will be able to make his return to Team India in their upcoming assignments.