Mohammed Shami’s India comeback hangs on IPL 2026 condition
Published - 16 Mar 2026, 03:52 PM | Updated - 16 Mar 2026, 03:54 PM
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Ever since returning from a long injury layoff, Mohammed Shami bowled exceptionally well for the Bengal cricket team in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26. Will he be able to make a return to the national cricket team? The question remains ahead of the IPL 2026 season.
For the IPL 2026 campaign, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) traded the experienced pacer from the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to forge a dominating bowling attack. A stellar performance in the upcoming Indian Premier League season could bring Mohammed Shami back into the Team India dressing room, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra believes.
Mohammed Shami was in a steaming form for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season
In the Ranji Trophy 2025-26, Mohammed Shami delivered brilliantly for Bengal. The seamer took 38 wickets in seven Ranji Trophy matches, including an 8-wicket haul in the semi-finals. Indian cricket fans will be eager to see Shami bowling with the same intensity in the IPL 2026 season.
Former India opener Aakash Chopra felt that if Shami bowls equally well in the IPL for the Lucknow Super Giants, then the national team selectors can think differently about him. But what the selectors will think of the bowler justifies his stature, can be a hypothetical scenario.
"What about Mohammad Shami? There have been so many discussions about him not getting a chance to play. He has played everything, and he has done well for Bengal. If you do well on this stage, then no one will question what the selectors feel. As of now, the selectors go and watch, and what they feel is a hypothetical scenario," Chopra said on his YouTube channel, 'Aakash Chopra'.
IPL 2026 can be the decisive moment for Mohammed Shami's international career
Chopra, a former cricketer turned cricket expert and commentator, states that the IPL 2026 will be a great stage to display what he is still capable of. He strongly feels that if the bowler performs well for LSG, then he can find a path to storm into the national camp again.
"All of us are wondering what they might be thinking. However, if you do well in the IPL, don't worry at all. The entire world watches. It's a great battle in the center of the colosseum, and if you do well here, you can break down the Indian team's door and enter. I think it's such a beautiful opportunity for Mohammad Shami," Aakash Chopra further said.
IPL 2025 was a nightmare for the experienced pacer
IPL 2025 was a better-to-forget season for the Bengal pacer. He took only 6 wickets after featuring in 9 matches. The six wickets he took came for 11.23, which was far from his best.
If we talk about Mohammed Shami's overall bowling stats in the IPL, the bowler picked up a total of 133 wickets in 119 matches for an economy rate of 8.63. During the 2021 season, he bowled at an economy rate of 7.50 for the Punjab Kings to claim 19 scalps in 14 games.
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