Mohammed Shami is doing what he knows best, taking wickets and leading his team to win, but he remains absent from the Indian cricket team, much to the surprise of many. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly voiced support for Shami’s return to Team India and said that he should be bowling alongside Jasprit Bumrah. The selectors have justified the snub, citing fitness concerns, but his performance presents a different story.
Shami bagged the player of the match award after a thunderous spell of 2-9 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, leading Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to a win. In the 2025-2026 domestic season, he took 67 wickets across the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Given his performance, the calls for his comeback are on the rise.
“He should be bowling at the other end of Bumrah, nowhere else. That’s how good he is. We all saw that spell the other night against SunRisers Hyderabad – four overs, nine runs against two of the best T20 players, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma. That was phenomenal,” Ganguly said during the inauguration of the third season of the Bengal Pro T20 League on Tuesday.
“He had a strong Ranji Trophy season for Bengal. I still remember that semi-final – even though Bengal lost, he picked up eight wickets. He was instrumental in taking the team that far,” he said.
‘Mohammed Shami Looks Fit And Sharp’ – Sourav Ganguly
Ganguly also praised Mohammed Shami for sweating hard in domestic cricket despite being overlooked for the national team. The former captain added that Shami looks fit and sharp, and doubled down his support for Shami’s return to Team India.
“I’m very happy he wants to keep playing in the Ranji Trophy. It’s tough for a fast bowler, but there’s nothing better than watching Mohammed Shami run in with the new ball,” he added.
“He looks fit and sharp. After bowling consistently for months, you naturally reach peak conditions – no amount of training matches that. I wish him all the best and would love to see him back in India colours,” Ganguly said.
