Mohammed Shami has brushed aside renewed talk of an India comeback, saying on Saturday that it would not be his loss if he never played for the country again.
The 36-year-old fast bowler's remarks came days after Bhuvneshwar Kumar was recalled to India's T20I squad for the New Zealand series later this month, a selection that has reopened the debate around senior pacers and India's pace transition.
Focus on domestic cricket
Speaking to Revsportz, Shami said Bhuvneshwar's selection was good for him but did not concern him, and that his focus is firmly on his current Ranji Trophy assignment for Bengal. He noted that the situation had been the same for two or three years — he has been performing and has proved his fitness in domestic cricket, yet the national call has not come.
Shami last played for India in the 2025 Champions Trophy and has been out of the national set-up since, with then-chief selector Ajit Agarkar repeatedly pointing to fitness as the reason. In the meantime, the selectors have moved towards younger pace options such as Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana.
The Bhuvneshwar parallel
Bhuvneshwar's return to the T20I set-up after more than four years came on the back of his IPL form, and selectors reportedly view the comeback as a possible first step towards an ODI return — a development that has led to calls for Shami to be reconsidered as well. Shami, by contrast, has not been at his best in the IPL.
The spotlight on both bowlers has sharpened because India's transition to a newer pace group has not gone smoothly, a weakness most visible on the flat tracks of the ongoing high-scoring series against the West Indies. Shami underlined his own recent form with a quick-fire fifty for Bengal against Andhra in the Ranji Trophy quarter-final.
Sources:
Outlook India: 'It's Not My Loss': Mohammed Shami Reacts to Bhuvneshwar Kumar's Comeback
The 36-year-old fast bowler's remarks came days after Bhuvneshwar Kumar was recalled to India's T20I squad for the New Zealand series later this month, a selection that has reopened the debate around senior pacers and India's pace transition.
Focus on domestic cricket
Speaking to Revsportz, Shami said Bhuvneshwar's selection was good for him but did not concern him, and that his focus is firmly on his current Ranji Trophy assignment for Bengal. He noted that the situation had been the same for two or three years — he has been performing and has proved his fitness in domestic cricket, yet the national call has not come.
Shami last played for India in the 2025 Champions Trophy and has been out of the national set-up since, with then-chief selector Ajit Agarkar repeatedly pointing to fitness as the reason. In the meantime, the selectors have moved towards younger pace options such as Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana.
The Bhuvneshwar parallel
Bhuvneshwar's return to the T20I set-up after more than four years came on the back of his IPL form, and selectors reportedly view the comeback as a possible first step towards an ODI return — a development that has led to calls for Shami to be reconsidered as well. Shami, by contrast, has not been at his best in the IPL.
The spotlight on both bowlers has sharpened because India's transition to a newer pace group has not gone smoothly, a weakness most visible on the flat tracks of the ongoing high-scoring series against the West Indies. Shami underlined his own recent form with a quick-fire fifty for Bengal against Andhra in the Ranji Trophy quarter-final.
Sources:
Outlook India: 'It's Not My Loss': Mohammed Shami Reacts to Bhuvneshwar Kumar's Comeback
