He delivered his worst IPL season in a decade for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Mohammed Shami is one of India’s top bowlers across formats. He displayed his white-ball skills in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, earning the Purple Cap with 28 wickets in just 17 matches and often setting the game for the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the powerplay. However, his journey since then hasn’t been that impressive. He missed the entire IPL 2024 season due to injury and was released by GT ahead of the IPL 2025 auction.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) roped in Shami for a whooping INR 10 Crores, but the right-arm pacer looked out of rhythm and control. He delivered his worst numbers in the IPL 2025, finishing with just six wickets in nine matches, averaging 56.16 and an economy rate of 11.23. After underwhelming performances in this year’s season, SRH might seek to fine-tune their bowling resources and release Shami ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction. So, let’s analyse which three teams will target him in the auction.
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Kolkata Knight Riders clinched the IPL 2024 title under the leadership duo of captain Shreyas Iyer and mentor Gautam Gambhir. With Shreyas moving to another franchise and Gambhir taking over India’s head coach, KKR found themselves in a weird phase in IPL 2025. They also lacked Mitchell Starc’s X-factor and the consistency of Indian pacers. Hence, KKR will look to secure the services of Shami to bolster their Indian pace bowling attack featuring Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, and Chetan Sakariya. The Bengal pacer could make a potent opening pair with Vaibhav Arora.
The 34-year-old’s inclusion in KKR might have an emotional touch too. Shami has represented Bengal in domestic cricket for years. His homecoming might feel like a sentimental return. He has also done well at the iconic Eden Gardens, claiming seven wickets in five matches at an economy of 10. Though his recent performances aren’t that impressive, KKR might look to acquire Shami’s services to add experience to their pace attack.
Lucknow Super Giants’ pace bowling unit lacked consistency and control with the new ball. Their powerplay bowling was the least threatening among all 10 teams. They managed only 18 wickets in the powerplay in IPL 2025, the second lowest by a team. What’s worse was their other stats: an economy rate of 10.73, an average of 50.06, and they conceded the highest number of sixes. The LSG bowlers even failed to keep the opposition batters quiet, bowling just 184 dot balls, the lowest among all teams.
This is where Mohammed Shami could be a game changer with proven new ball skills and control. Apart from his IPL 2025 stint, Shami has been excellent in the first six overs. Additionally, his inclusion will bring a vast experience in the bowling attack that is full of young Indian pacers in the likes of Avesh Khan, Akash Deep, Prince Yadav, and Mayank Yadav. Mohsin Khan also missed the 18th edition of the cash-rich league due to injury. If Shami finds his fitness and rhythm, he could be a match-winner for Lucknow.
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Chennai Super Kings have a history of reviving the careers of veterans who’ve had an off-season. Some standout names include the likes of Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Faf du Plessis, Ashish Nehra, and Robin Uthappa. With Deepak Chahar and Tushar Deshpande’s departure, CSK struggled to find a pacer who would support left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed. They lacked the powerplay penetration and failed to utilise the swing on offer, which was once their strength. CSK tried Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary, Sam Curran, Nathan Ellis, and Jamie Overton in the powerplay, but no one was able to give decent returns. Only Khaleel (10), Kamboj (7), and Choudhary (1) were able to take wickets for the franchise last year.
Hence, CSK could go after Shami in the IPL 2026 mini auction to fix their powerplay bowling struggles and as a mentoring figure to the young pacers. Shami’s record at Chepauk is also decent. He has taken five wickets in six outings at an average of 30.80, but didn’t let the batters free their arms, having conceded runs at an economy of just 8.10. Steven Fleming and MS Dhoni’s tactical minds could hopefully bring out the best of Mohammed Shami again.
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