Former captain believes Shami’s form and fitness merit a return to Team India.
Kolkata
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has voiced strong support for Mohammed Shami’s return to the national team across formats, saying the seasoned pacer remains “fit and is bowling exceptionally well.”
Despite Shami’s impressive domestic performances, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee has overlooked the 35-year-old for the upcoming two-Test series against South Africa. Shami last represented India in the Champions Trophy in March, and questions about his future have since intensified.
“Shami is bowling exceptionally well. He is fit, and we saw that in the three Ranji Trophy matches where he won games for Bengal on his own,” Ganguly said after being unveiled as the global brand ambassador of Kabuni, a UK-based AI-driven sports coaching platform.
Having taken 15 wickets in Bengal’s first two Ranji Trophy matches this season, Shami demonstrated his sharpness before going wicketless against Tripura. His return to full fitness follows ankle surgery after the 2023 World Cup, where he was the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 24 scalps at an average of 10.70.
“I’m sure the selectors are watching him closely. In terms of fitness and skill, this is the Shami we all know,” Ganguly said. “There’s no reason why he can’t continue playing Tests, ODIs, and T20s for India — his skill is enormous.”
With no red-ball fixtures lined up for India in the next six months, it remains uncertain whether Shami’s last Test appearance — the World Test Championship final against Australia in June 2023 — will mark the end of his red-ball career. Meanwhile, younger quicks like Prasidh Krishna and Akash Deep are steadily cementing their places in the team, as selectors balance experience with long-term planning ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup.
