The career of India’s star fast bowler Mohammed Shami is now in jeopardy. Reports suggest that captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir jointly decided to drop Shami from the team.
What is whole matter?
This was due to fitness issues, but the full story is now out. Shami has performed exceptionally well in domestic cricket, but his place in the national team is far from certain.
Shami was last seen in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in the UAE this year, where India won. He hasn’t played a Test match since. After the home series against New Zealand, Shami remained on the bench.
He was also not included in the upcoming two Test matches against South Africa. RevSports journalist Rohit Juglan revealed that everything began with the Bengaluru Test.
After the match, Rohit Sharma told the media,
“Mohammed Shami was dealing with swelling in his knee.” This caused confusion, as Shami arrived at an event in Gurgaon at the same time and said, “I am completely fit.”
Nevertheless, the team management focused on Shami’s long-term recovery. He needed to be fully fit for the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.
However, Shami remained busy with brand shoots and promotions, which affected his rehabilitation process. Doctors provided a strict plan, but Shami’s fitness did not improve.
Shami’s lack of recovery changed everything
The team began to feel that Shami had not shown full commitment to his recovery. According to a journalist, “Mohammed Shami didn’t show full commitment during the recovery phase!!”
By the time they arrived in Adelaide, the coaching staff and selectors were convinced that Shami had not worked seriously on his fitness. A clear deadline had been set, but Shami failed to meet it.
Therefore, he was not called up for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Jasprit Bumrah faced a heavy workload, but Shami did not get a chance.
Rohit Sharma also played a significant role. After the Bengaluru incident, communication between Shami and the captain diminished.
Gautam Gambhir, known for his straightforward approach, emphasized discipline and fitness standards. He clearly stated that the team must progress.
Shami’s habit also went against him; he often discussed internal matters publicly. This is not acceptable in team culture. Recently, Shami said something contrary to Chief Selector Ajit Agarwal’s statement, which was then ignored.
Rohit-Gambhir’s decisions ended Shami’s Test career
It is now clear that Rohit and Gambhir’s decisions dealt a blow to Shami’s Test career.
“How Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir’s decisions ended Mohammed Shami’s Test career,” as the journalist wrote.
Shami will continue to score runs for Bengal, but a comeback for India seems difficult.
