Veteran pacer Mohammed Shami continues to stay out of the Indian team. The 35-year-old player was overlooked once again as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) named the squads for the one-off Test against Afghanistan and the three-match ODI series. The right-arm pacer last played for India in March 2025 in an ODI match. The player recovered from a knee injury and made a remarkable comeback with impressive performances in domestic cricket, but he failed to get a national call-up.
Currently, Shami is playing in the Indian Premier League 2026. He has picked 10 wickets in 12 matches while bowling at an economy rate of 8.81. However, the impact of his bowling goes way beyond numbers, be it during his entire career or specifically during IPL 2026.
When asked about the bowler being snubbed for the Afghanistan series, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar said that he is only ready for the shortest format.
“We have been told that at this point, T20 cricket is what he is ready, so there was no discussion regarding Mohammed Shami,” he said.
The chief selector added that the name of Jammu and Kashmir’s rising pace-bowling all-rounder Auqib Nabi was considered instead.
India have also named a new Test vice-captain. KL Rahul has replaced Rishabh Pant in the role. However, the latter continues to be a part of the team in the longest format.
Even though the game against Afghanistan is not a part of the World Test Championship, the one-off contest holds more significance considering India’s troubles in the traditional format, especially at home.
India, which was once world-famous for its batting against spin, finds its batters struggling in such conditions now. It is an aspect that has bothered them for a while and was thoroughly exposed by South Africa in the home series last November. The side will have to find a way to tackle spin-friendly conditions.
Additionally, India have also not been able to find a stable number three since Cheteshwar Pujara left the scene. This is just another concern in their batting line-up.
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