‘He is not neglected’: Sourav Ganguly’s tough verdict on Mohammed Shami

Mohammed Shami (PTI Photo) Sourav Ganguly dismissed suggestions that Mohammed Shami is being overlooked by the Indian selectors, saying the veteran pacer has already achieved a lot and remains an “absolute champion”.Shami has not played for India since Champions Trophy 2025 where he was an important part of the team that won the title. The 36-year-old resumed domestic cricket during his absence from the national team and on Thursday helped East Zone end a 13-year wait for the Duleep Trophy.Speaking to reporters at the Eden Gardens, Ganguly said Shami’s continued commitment to domestic cricket and his performances were particularly encouraging.“What makes me happy about Shami is that he is playing domestic cricket day in and day out and performing. It’s amazing to see. He has achieved so much,” Ganguly said.With Shami still producing performances in domestic cricket, Ganguly was asked if the pacer could return to India’s plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup.However, the former India captain felt it was too early to make such a prediction and pointed out that the tournament was still a long way off.“It’s a long way. I can’t comment on that. It’s in October (next year). It’s a long way,” he said.Ganguly was also asked if he thought the senior men’s selection committee was neglecting Shami.He strongly disagreed, although he conceded that being left out can become part of a cricketer’s career as he gets older. Ganguly drew on his own experience of being left out of India’s World Cup plans despite having already crossed the 10,000-run mark in international cricket.“He’s not neglected. He’s played a lot. He’s an absolute champion. But as you get older, it happens. When I was out of World Cup one-day cricket for a year, after scoring 10,000 runs, I found a way to come back. So it happens to everybody.”The comments came on a day when Ganguly also congratulated East Zone for their Duleep Trophy triumph that ended their long wait for the title.

Ganguly backs Ishan Kishan for Test comeback

Ganguly also had words of praise for East Zone captain Ishan Kishan, whose performances in the Duleep Trophy strengthened his case for a possible return to the Indian Test side.The CAB president revealed that he spoke to Kishan on Thursday and encouraged the wicketkeeper-batsman to keep his focus on Test cricket.“I spoke to Kishan this afternoon. It’s amazing and remarkable. Every young player wants to play Test cricket and hopefully he will. He played exceptionally well in all the Vijay Hazare, Syed Mushtaq Ali and Duleep Trophy finals.”Emphasizing the importance of Test cricket for young players, Ganguly highlighted Kishan’s ability to produce runs when the stakes are highest.“If he performs, I think for any young player, Test cricket should be important. He has to want to play Test cricket and hopefully he will. He runs in big matches… Vijay Hazare final, Mushtaq final, Duleep Trophy final.”Kishan’s last Test appearance for India came against the West Indies in July 2023. He has since worked his way back into contention and his latest series of appearances has given his Test ambitions a further boost.