Mohammed Shami has not played a Test match for India since the WTC final against Australia in 2023.
Former India cricketer Deep Dasgupta believes that the absence of pacer Mohammed Shami from the India squad for the upcoming Test series against England is due to question marks over his fitness and his absence from red-ball cricket for a while. In an exclusive interview with CricXtasy, Dasgupta spoke of the Indian seamer.
Post the 2023 ODI World Cup at home, Mohammed Shami had been sidelined for 14 months because of an ankle injury. In November 2024 though, the Bengal pacer returned to competitive action in a Ranji Trophy during a match against Madhya Pradesh. He finished with figures of 4/54 in the first innings and followed it up with figures of 3/102 in the second innings.
After he recovered from his heel surgery however, Shami suffered a swelling on his knee during rehabilitation and a side strain eventually ruled him out of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia later in 2024. Mohammed Shami has not played a Test match for India since the World Test Championship final against Australia in 2023.
“Definitely, yes. I think Shami is a quality bowler, but unfortunately, post his injury, he hasn’t played much red ball cricket. His fitness is still a question mark. The last thing you want is as good as he is, is somebody to break down in the middle of a Test match. Plus, can you think about what would happen if Bumrah and Shami are playing, and something happens to one of them?,” Deep Dasgupta told Cricxtasy during an exclusive interaction.
Mohammed Shami made his India return earlier this year in January during the third T20I against England in Rajkot. He also went onto play the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy that India won, picking up nine wickets from five matches.
“So you’ve got to be really really careful, you can’t have too many of the same kind, as good as he is. If Shami is 85 percent fit, even if he is not 100 percent fit, definitely yes. But unfortunately, I don’t think he is, and that is what I have heard. So it’s a big, big gamble if you’re taking somebody you really can’t you know trust their fitness,” explained the 48-year-old.
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Mohammed Shami also turned up for Gujarat Titans (GT) in IPL 2025. He, however, endured a subpar season, taking just six wickets from nine matches at an economy rate of 11.23. Gujarat Titans qualified for the IPL 2025 playoffs but lost to Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Eliminator.
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