Mohammed Shami Archives

Ajit Agarkar explains Mohammed Shami’s absence from India Test squad

India’s chief selector Ajit Agarkar has broken his silence on the absence of Mohammed Shami from the Test squad for the upcoming England tour.

The 33-year-old, one of India’s most reliable red-ball performers, was expected to play a crucial role in the high-stakes five-Test series.

However, the BCCI has confirmed that Shami has been ruled out due to a fresh injury setback.

BCCI selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar addressed the media after the squad announcement and provided clarity on the exclusion of Mohammed Shami.

“He’s had a bit of a setback over the past week and got some MRIs done. He was not going to be able to play five Tests,” Agarkar explained.

“We don’t think his workload is where it needs to be. The medical team has confirmed that he’ll be unavailable.

“We were hoping he could play some part, but if he’s not fit, we’d rather pick players who are ready and available.”

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It’s worth noting that Mohammed Shami has been a key figure in India’s pace attack for years, with 229 wickets in 64 Tests at an average of 27.71.

The BCCI also officially announced Shubman Gill as India’s new Test captain, marking the beginning of a fresh era in Indian cricket.

The 25-year-old replaces Rohit Sharma, who recently retired from the format along with veterans Virat Kohli and R Ashwin.

Gill will lead India for the first time in a challenging five-match series against England, with the first Test scheduled at Headingley, Leeds, on June 20.

The remaining matches will be played at Edgbaston, Lord’s, Old Trafford, and The Oval.

India squad for the Test series against England

Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (vice-captain & wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.

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Major blow for India as star pacer likely to miss England tour

In a significant blow to India, fast bowler Mohammed Shami is set to miss the five-match Test series against England, starting from 20 June.

Shami, 34, is currently playing for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League.

According to a report, the pacer who has not featured in a Test match for India since the World Test Championship final against Australia in June 2023 is highly unlikely to be picked in the squad due to the necessary workload for Test cricket.

The development came out following the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) medical committee member who travelled to assess Mohammed Shami ahead of SRH’s game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on May 23.

Meanwhile, his place in India’s squad is not confirmed, but selectors are highly likely to not pick him unless a complete medical assessment.

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The right-arm pacer recovered from the ankle surgery he suffered in February 2024, but started to feel pain in his right knee. Due to this, he has been undergoing treatment.

However, he has been able to continue bowling; his ability to gradually ramp up his workloads to Test match level has been affected.

Mohammed Shami has not been at his best in the IPL so far, picking up only six wickets in nine matches at an average of 56.16.

It is noteworthy to mention that India will tour England for a five-match Test series, scheduled to commence on 20 June.

England v India Test series schedule

First Test – June 20-24, Headingley
Second Test – July 2- 6, Edgbaston
Third Test – July 10-14, Lord’s
Fourth Test – July 23-27, Old Trafford
Fifth Test – July 31-August 4, The Oval

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Mohammed Shami fumes at Indian media over retirement reports

India fast bowler Mohammed Shami has lambasted several media outlets for spreading false reports, claiming that he is set to end his Test career.

Multiple Indian media outlets have reported that fast bowler Mohammed Shami is planning to retire ahead of a five-match Test series against England.

These reports indicated that Shami will be following in the footsteps of senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who have also decided to step away from the longest format of the game.

“After Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, another senior cricketer, Mohammed Shami, is reportedly set to bid adieu to Test cricket.”

“The selectors may drop Mohammed Shami from the squad for the five-match Test series against England due to fitness,” the report had read.

However, Mohammed Shami refuted the claims through a social media post, criticizing media outlets in a cheeky manner.

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“Very well done, Maharaj. You should count the days that are remaining in your job. You should say something nice sometimes. This is the most woeful story of the day, sorry,” Shami wrote.

“There’s still time, but we can improve for the sake of our country, India. Now who is this brother, ABP baba, he wrote.

For the unversed, Mohammed Shami has 64 Test caps to his name, taking 229 wickets at an average of 27.71. He last played a Test match for India in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia at The Oval in June 2023.

The 34-year-old was ruled out of the Indian team due to an injury he sustained during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup later that year, where he had showcased impressive performances with the ball.

He made his return to competitive cricket this year for the T20I series against England and was also part of India’s winning squad of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025.

READ: SACA chief slams former Australia captain over Rabada drug ban comments

Mohammed Shami registers unwanted record in Pakistan clash

DUBAI: India pacer Mohammed Shami found himself in the record books for all the wrong reasons during the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025 clash against arch-rivals Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Pakistan, having won the toss and opted to bat first, got a massive helping hand early on as Shami endured a disastrous start with the ball.

The experienced pacer bowled an 11-ball first over, including five wides, making it the longest over ever bowled by an Indian in ODI cricket.

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This unwanted feat places him in an exclusive yet unfortunate club alongside Irfan Pathan (2006) and Zaheer Khan (2003), both of whom also bowled 11-ball opening overs.

Longest over by an Indian in an ODI

Mohammed Shami – 11 balls vs Pakistan, Dubai (2025)
Irfan Pathan – 11 balls vs West Indies, Kingston (2006)
Zaheer Khan – 11 balls vs Australia, Wankhede (2003)

Catch every Champions Trophy update here!

While Shami’s over was far from ideal, it still didn’t come close to the longest over in ODI history—an infamous 17-ball marathon by Pakistan’s Mohammad Sami against Bangladesh in the 2004 Asia Cup, which included seven wides and four no-balls.

Playing XIs of Pakistan-India

Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Tayyab Tahir, Salman Agha, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami

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India face major blow as key pacer ruled out of Australia Tests

India suffered a blow on Monday when pacer Mohammed Shami was ruled out of the final two Test matches of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.

Shami has missed the first three matches of the series but was expected to join the Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah for the Boxing Day Test.

The right-arm pacer has been on the road to recovery and has played a few domestic matches since his right heel surgery, which kept him away from international cricket for months.

“However, his left knee has exhibited minor swelling due to increased joint loading from his bowling workload,” Devajit Saikia of the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) said in a statement on Monday.

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The fans of Team India expected Mohammed Shami to join Bumrah, rated as one of the best fast bowlers of this generation, for the final two games against Australia, but their hopes were dashed on Monday.

Bumrah has stood out for his match-turning performances in Australia but critics have argued that he has lacked support from the other end in Shami’s absence.

“Based on the current medical assessment, the BCCI Medical Team has determined that his (Shami’s) knee requires more time for controlled exposure to bowling loads,” Saikia added.

“Consequently, he has not been deemed fit for consideration for the remaining two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.”

READ: PCB reveals schedule of West Indies’ tour of Pakistan

Rohit Sharma provides update on Mohammed Shami’s inclusion in remaining Australia Tests

India captain Rohit Sharma has discussed the possibility of calling up pace bowler Mohammed Shami for the remaining two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.

Shami was not selected for the tour of Australia because of an ankle surgery that sidelined him for nearly a year.

He underwent the surgery in February and was on track to return to the national team. However, he aggravated a knee issue during his rehabilitation, which further delayed his comeback.

The right-handed pacer achieved match fitness last month and returned to action for his domestic team Bengal, under the monitoring of the National Cricket Academy (NCA).

During the post-match press conference after the drawn third Test, Rohit Sharma was asked if Shami could make a comeback in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

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However, the Indian captain emphasized that the team management would consider Mohammed Shami only after receiving full assurance from the NCA.

“About Shami, I think it’s high time somebody from NCA talks about him, where he is rehabbing,” Rohit said. “Those guys are the ones who need to come up and give us some kind of update.”

“I understand he’s playing a lot of cricket back home, but there have been some complaints about his knee as well.

“So, look, the last thing you want is the player coming here and then pulling out in the middle of the game. You know what happens when that kind of thing happens.

“So, there is no way we want to take that chance unless we are like, not 100%, 200% sure, we’re not going to take any risk.

“But yeah, as I said in the last press conference, the door is open if those guys at the NCA feel that he is okay to go and recover and play, we’ll be happy to have him.”

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Former Pakistan cricketer lambasts Shami over “indecent” remarks about Inzamam

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali slammed India pacer Mohammed Shami for using “indecent” remarks about legendary batter Inzamam-ul-Haq.

Shami, on Saturday, reignited the reserve-swing debate, which started when Inzamam-ul-Haq questioned Indian pacers’ ability to reverse the ball early during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

Indian bowlers were on a roll in the 20-team tournament, the highlight of which was when they defended 30 runs off as many deliveries in the nerve-wracking final against South Africa.

But, former Pakistan captain Inzamam, while citing Arshdeep Singh’s example, questioned how India bowlers reverse swung the ball in just the 15th over during their Super Eights fixture against Australia.

“Arshdeep Singh when he was bowling the 15th over, the ball was reversing. is it too early [for reverse swing] with the new ball? This means the ball was ready for reverse swing by the 12th or the 13th over, Umpires should keep their eyes open [to spot] these things,” stated Inzamam on a local news channel.

“If it was Pakistani bowlers [reverse swinging the ball] this would have been a big issue. We know reverse swing very well and if Arshdeep can come in the 15th over and start reversing the ball, it means some serious work had been done before,” he added.

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Inzamam-ul-Haq’s concerns did not sit well with Mohammed Shami, who in a local YouTube podcast, did not mince his words in hitting back at the former Pakistan captain.

“They had accused me of putting a device into the ball during the 2023 ODI World Cup. They recently brought out another foolish theory on Arshdeep Singh. I respect Inzamam-ul-Haq a lot, and one doesn’t expect him to make such statements. They are the ones who started this reverse swing, and when we do it, they have a problem,” Shami said.

Meanwhile, former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali, on his YouTube channel, expressed his disappointment with Mohammed Shami’s statement and termed his remarks about Inzamam-ul-Haq, indecent.

“When Shami talks about Inzi bhai and calls him a cartoon, that’s not right. Inzamam has led this country and captained it. Shami, your choice of words isn’t good. We praise your bowling, but you should have chosen your words better. You didn’t pick your words well, and that hurt me,” stated Basit.

“If you think Inzi bhai said something wrong, say it nicely. Don’t call him a cartoon and all that. Have some respect. He’s a senior. You should respect your seniors. If you don’t, cricket will make you cry 300 days out of 365 and only make you happy for 65 days. So, please don’t do this, it’s a personal request,” he added.

“Be a bit more careful, you can’t just say anything anywhere. Whatever question is asked, you keep giving ‘behuda’ (indecent) answers. I’m using the right word, ‘behuda (indecent)’. Aapne behuda zabaan use kiya hai (You’ve used indecent language). Your elders probably never taught you this,” Basit concluded.

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Mohammed Shami opens up on marriage rumours with Sania Mirza

Right-arm India pacer Mohammed Shami broke silence on the rumours regarding his alleged marriage with national Tennis star Sania Mirza.

Shami appeared at a local YouTube podcast and addressed the speculation about his alleged marriage to tennis star Sania Mirza, labelling the rumours as “unfounded” and “harmful.”

Shami’s response came after manipulated images and social media posts fueled speculation about the alleged union.

“It’s weird and done purposely for some lame fun. But what can be done?” Mohammed Shami said. “If I open my phone, I see those memes. But I would only like to say that I think memes are made for fun, but if they are related to someone’s life, then you must think about it and then share such things.”

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Mohammed Shami urged people to be mindful of the impact of their words, stating, “I urge everyone to be responsible with social media and refrain from spreading such unfounded news.”

“If you have the guts to say all these things from a verified page, then I will reply.” Shami said.
Notably, Mirza married Malik from 2010 until it was confirmed in January this year that she had sought separation from her ex-husband through Khula (the right of a Muslim woman to divorce her husband). She shares a son, Izhaan, 5, with the Pakistani cricketer.

On the other hand, Shami has been separated from his wife Hasin Jahan, with whom he got married in 2014. They have a child together.

READ: Mohammed Shami reacts to Inzamam’s remarks on Indian pacers’ reverse swing

Mohammed Shami reacts to Inzamam’s remarks on Indian pacers’ reverse swing

Right-arm India pacer Mohammed Shami reignited the reserve-swing debate, which started when Inzamam-ul-Haq questioned Indian pacers’ ability to reverse the ball early during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

Indian bowlers were on a roll in the 20-team tournament, the highlight of which was when they defended 30 runs off as many deliveries in the nerve-wracking final against South Africa.

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Meanwhile, Mohammed Shami, at a local YouTube Podcast did not mince his words and slammed Inzamam-ul-Haq over his remarks.

Shami continued to call out the former captain by claiming that Pakistan cricketers were involved in ball tampering in the past.

“Before saying anything to the Indian bowlers, they should remember the past incidents when their players were caught while tampering with the ball. Pakistan players want to make their public fool, and when their team is not performing well, they come out with allegations,” said Mohammed Shami.

READ: Inzamam-ul-Haq hits back at Rohit Sharma amid reverse-swing debate

Unfit Shami ruled out of South Africa Test series

Injured pacer Mohammed Shami was left out of India’s squad for the two-Test series against South Africa beginning this month after he failed to regain his fitness, the cricket board said.

Shami, 33, was earlier named in the squad announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the away series but his inclusion was subject to fitness clearance.

“Shami, whose participation in the Test series was subject to fitness has not been cleared by the BCCI Medical Team and the fast bowler is ruled out of the two Tests,” BCCI said in a press release.

Mohammed Shami played a key role during India’s recent World Cup campaign, bagging 24 wickets from seven games to finish as the tournament’s highest wicket-taker.

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India won 10 games in a row in the tournament before losing the final to Australia.

The BCCI also said that medium pacer Deepak Chahar had withdrawn from the one-day squad due to a family emergency.

He was replaced with Akash Deep, who is already in South Africa as part of the India A side.

Batsman Shreyas Iyer will be available for the first ODI but will skip the remaining two in order the prepare for the Test series, beginning on December 26.

The first game of the three-match ODI series begins in Johannesburg on Sunday.

Captain Rohit Sharma, along with Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravichandran Ashwin left for South Africa on Friday and are likely to feature in the practice game on December 20-22 in Pretoria.

India’s updated ODI squad for South Africa series: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sai Sudharsan, Tilak Varma, Rajat Patidar, Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (C), Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Akash Deep.

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