The omission of Mohammed Shami from the Indian team for more than a year has been a topic of constant debate in the Indian cricketing circles. Despite performing consistently in domestic cricket, Shami’s door in the Indian dressing room remained closed since the ICC Champions Trophy, which India won in Dubai in 2025, beating New Zealand in the final.
Having named as the Player of the Series in 2023 ODI World Cup, spent a year on the sidelines due to an ankle injury before making a comeback in the Champions Trophy. However, since then, Shami was never picked in the Indian team, with the BCCI chief selector maintaining there were concerns about the 36-year-old’s fitness.
However, Shami hit back last year, stating that he wouldn’t have been playing in the Ranji Trophy if there were any issues in terms of fitness. Former India captain cited his own example when asked about Shami’s absence from the Indian team for a long time.
“He is doing well day in and day out in domestic cricket. I, too, have not played for a year with the national team after scoring 10,000 runs, but have made a comeback. He is trying to do well don’t know why he has not been picked. But he is doing well and is performing well,” Ganguly told reporters at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
At a time when is injured, the Indian selectors opted for young pacers in Gurnoor Brar, Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna across the formats. Asked if Shami is being ignored, Ganguly felt the other way. “He has not been neglected. He played a lot,” he added.
Along with fellow Bengal teammate Mukesh Kumar, Shami played a crucial role in East Zone’s triumph after 13 years. After going wicketless in the quarterfinal against North-East Zone, Shami turned the tables to grab seven wickets in the semifinal and final combined with a best of 3/56 in the second innings in the last four clash against Central Zone.
Up next for Shami is the Irani Trophy, provided he is selected in the Rest of India squad. If not, Shami will be next seen for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy 2026-27, which starts from October 11.
