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The squad for the India National Cricket Team for the Afghanistan Test and ODI series was announced on Tuesday, late afternoon, by chief selector Ajit Agarkar and the Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Devajit Saikia. After the team was announced, Mohammed Shami failed to get his name in the Test and the ODI teams. The veteran pacer’s name remained absent in both squads.
However, Ajit Agarkar has dropped his comments on why Mohammed Shami could not make it to the team. As per the information shared by the chief selector, the veteran pacer is not ready for the traditional and 50-over format. Shami is only ready for the T20 format.
T20 cricket is what he is ready- Ajit Agarkar on Mohammed Shami
“No (discussions on Shami's Test return). As far as we have been told that at this point...his body is allowing him to (play), I know he has played a domestic season this year. But from the information that I have got, is that at this point it's T20 cricket that he's sort of ready for. So there was no discussion regarding him,” Agarkar said.
Mohammed Shami has bowled exceptionally well in the last Ranji Trophy season. He was one of the leading wicket-takers in the tournament and also in the Vijay Hazare trophy as well. But he has been omitted from India’s Test and ODI squads largely due to concerns around fitness management and long-term workload planning.
Why no Mohammed Shami despite performances?
The 35-year-old pacer had picked up 47 wickets across 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.
Shami last played at the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where he was India's joint leading wicket-taker alongside Varun Chakravarthy with 9 wickets. Since winning the CT, he has not featured for the Men in Blue side in the ODI format.
In the ongoing IPL, he has been excellent with the ball for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), especially in the first phase of the league. Mohammed Shami has picked up 10 wickets, but the veteran pacer with the new ball in red-ball cricket and in the 50-over format will be more effective.
The BCCI needs to work well with him and look at him as a prime pacer ahead of the 2027 World Cup. As the pitches of South Africa will suit him and his seaming deliveries, offering swing and bounce from the pitch.
No Jasprit Bumrah in ODI and Test
India's 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's Test Squad: 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, Harsh Dubey, Dhruv Jurel
Also Read: India ODI squad for Afghanistan series: Full breakdown of surprise picks and axed stars
