Has India moved on from Mohammed Shami? Ajit Agarkar questions the pacer’s comeback
Mohammed Shami’s continued absence from India’s Test and ODI schedules has now begun to raise a much bigger question about his international future. India’s chief selector Ajit Agarkar’s latest remarks after the Afghanistan squad announcement only added to the feeling that the selectors may have finally started to move on from the veteran pacer.
Shami was again left out of both India’s ODI and Test Squads for Afghanistan Series although he remained active in domestic cricket and the IPL after a long recovery phase from injury. Addressing a press conference after the Indian team announcement on Tuesday, May 19, Agarkar admitted that Shami was not part of the discussion for the longer formats this time either.
IND vs AFG, SQUAD SELECTION: UPDATE
“”No (discussion on Shami’s Test comeback). If we’re told that at this point…his body allows him (to play), I know he’s had a home season this year. But from the information I have, it’s T20 cricket that he’s kind of ready for at the moment. So there was no discussion about him,” Agarkar said.
The statement immediately sparked fresh discussions about Shami’s status in the Indian set-up, especially as the veteran fast bowler has resumed competitive cricket across formats after returning from surgery.
Shami last played for India during the Champions Trophy final in March 2025 before completely disappearing from India’s ODI and Test schedules over the past few months.
Temper also remained one of the key bowlers for Lucknow Super Giants during IPL 2026 despite the franchise enduring a disappointing campaign. Shami took 10 wickets in 12 matches at an economy rate of 8.81 while often bowling during difficult phases of the innings.
Even before this series snub in Afghanistan, Shami had already been overlooked in India’s ODI series against New Zealand earlier this year, despite a strong domestic season for Bengal.
The veteran picked up 47 wickets in 16 domestic matches, including 20 wickets in the Ranji Trophy, 16 wickets in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and 11 wickets in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Despite these numbers, selectors continued to favor younger fast bowlers across formats.
WHY WAS SHAMI A FREAK?
Shami’s absence from India’s Test and ODI squads is largely due to concerns about fitness management and long-term workload planning.
After the heel and Achilles surgery, the Indian management remained extremely cautious about pushing him back into multi-format cricket too quickly.
Even after Shami made a successful return to domestic cricket, doubts lingered in the set-up as to whether his body could consistently handle the physical demands of Test cricket and the long workload of ODIs again.
Earlier this year Shami and his personal trainer have also publicly expressed their frustration over the lack of communication regarding the exact fitness standards required for his return to the national side.
Agarkar’s latest comments now suggest that the selectors currently only consider Shami physically ready for T20 cricket rather than the longer formats.
At 35, Shami’s situation also clashes with India’s larger transition plans within the fast bowling department.
As India gradually progress towards the next ODI World Cup cycle and future Test tours, the selectors seem to be increasingly focusing on younger players capable of remaining available across formats for longer periods of time.
WHO WAS SELECTED IN TEST AND ODI SQUAD BESIDES SHAMI?
The selection of the Indian team for the Afghanistan series made this transition strategy clear.
In the ODI squad, the selectors preferred Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana and Prasidha Krishna over Shami, while Manav Suthar and first call-up Gurnoor Brar were also included.
In the Test setup, the selectors continued to back younger pace options including Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Prasidh Krishna and Gurnoor Brar.
The repeated favoring of younger seamers in both teams has now fueled speculation that India may already be preparing for a future behind Shami in red-ball and over-50 cricket.
INDIA VS AFGHANISTAN ODI SQUAD
Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey.
INDIA VS AFGHANISTAN TEST UNIT
Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vc) Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant, Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, D Harsh Dubey.
– The end
Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
19 May 2026 17:17 IST