Mohammed Shami once again found himself on the sidelines after the BCCI announced squads for the ODI and Test series in New Zealand, starting next month.
Having last played for India in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the veteran Bengal pacer has not been able to convince the selectors despite strong performances in domestic cricket.
One of the premier pacers in Indian cricket, Shami has been arguably the best bowler in ICC tournaments for the Men in Blue. In fact, Shami is the highest wicket-taker for India in ODI World Cups with 55 scalps. During India’s triumphant 2025 Champions Trophy, Shami took nine wickets.
Since February 2025, the Bengal pacer has featured in the Duleep Trophy 2026, taking seven wickets in three matches at an average of 26.57 to help East Zone clinch the title. He also claimed 37 wickets for Bengal in seven matches during the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season.
Meanwhile, the right-arm pacer had modest returns in the IPL 2025 and 2026 seasons, taking six wickets in nine matches for Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2025 and 12 wickets in 13 matches for Lucknow Super Giants in 2026.
Former India coach Ravi Shastri felt Shami has done enough to make a return for India. “He’s done enough with both red and white balls to be recalled to the Test and ODI sides,” Shastri said, as reported by TOI.
Ravi Shastri’s suggestion for Jasprit Bumrah
Shastri also had a suggestion for Jasprit Bumrah, and stressed that the Indian think tank should carefully manage his workload, with the 2027 ODI World Cup in horizon. Following India’s T20 World Cup triumph, Bumrah did not play all the games for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, as he played with a minor niggle and fatigue.
Post IPL 2026, Bumrah suffered a impact injury in his left knee during the second ODI against England in Cardiff and was ruled out of the series. Subsequently, he missed the Test tour to Sri Lanka and was rested for the ODI matches against New Zealand to keep him fresh for Tests.
According to Shastri, Bumrah shouldn’t play in all three formats. “I don’t think he should play all three formats until the World Cup (2027). He should focus primarily on Test cricket and feature sporadically in ODIs and T20Is. I’d rather preserve him for the two Tests in New Zealand, where he’ll be crucial,” he added. Bumrah was last seen in the Asian Games 2026.
In New Zealand, India will play five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests.
India’s Test & ODI squads against New Zealand
India squad for the first 3 ODIs: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna (Subject to fitness clearance), Kuldeep Yadav
India squad for 4th and 5th ODIs: Shreyas Iyer [C], Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan [WK, VC], Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra [WK], Mohammed Siraj, Yash Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav
India’s Test squad: Shubman Gill (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Rishabh Pant (Subject to fitness clearance), Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Anshul Kamboj, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Sai Sudharsan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj