Mohammed Shami’s India days appear to be behind him. Now, 36, he hasn’t played for India in more than a year, with his last appearance coming in the Champions Trophy 2025 final. The Gautam Gambhir-led Indian team and the Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI selection committee have seemingly moved on from him, amid injury concerns for the veteran pacer. However, former India bowling coach Bharat Arun firmly believes that the selection doors should not be shut for Shami, who continues to go strong in domestic cricket.
“They shouldn’t have closed the door on Shami. There is still plenty of cricket left in him,” said Bharat Arun, in an interaction with The Indian Express.
“When someone is performing, age shouldn’t be a factor. You see his durability. It is an outstanding number for the kind of talent he possesses. It is actually befitting for Shami. 100 first-class matches with what he loves most, the red ball,” Arun added.
If Shami plays for East Zone in the Duleep Trophy 2026 final, it will be his 100th first-class game, including 64 Tests for India. However, Shami hasn’t played a Test match in more than three years.
“He loves bowling. It doesn’t matter whether it is in the nets or in the middle of a game. You give him the red ball, or any ball for that matter, he would mark his run-up and start bowling,” Arun further said of Shami.
Shami has been among the wickets more often than not in domestic cricket, despite being dropped from the Indian team in recent months. He boasts an average of 26.30 in his 99 first-class games, while his Test average is only slightly worse, at 27.71.
East Zone captain Ishan Kishan, who is part of India’s white-ball setup, also emphasised Shami’s hunger in making a comeback to the national side.
“When you are not regularly playing for the Indian team and to again have that same kind of motivation for your domestic games, it is tough but I feel I see that hunger in him. I think he has that hunger and that motivation right now like he wants to do that comeback, he wants to be part of the Indian squad again, and which you can see in him,” Kishan said on the eve of the Duleep Trophy final.
Shami also enjoyed a decent IPL 2026 campaign, leading Lucknow Super Giants’ all-Indian pace attack and picking up 12 wickets in 13 games.