Mohammed Shami returned to first-class cricket after nine months, taking 1/136 in the Duleep Trophy. What does this mean for his future in Indian cricket?
For the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy in England, India’s selection committee ignored their veteran pacer, Mohammed Shami. The chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, suggested that Shami’s ‘workload is not where it needs to be.’ It has been a bizarre situation for the Bengal pacer, who has spent more time proving his red-ball fitness than playing the game.
His last Test encounter was the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia at Kennington Oval. Since then, he featured in only one first-class game. That came during the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 fixture against Madhya Pradesh in November last year for Bengal. Still, he didn’t make it to the two trips in Australia and England.
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Mohammed Shami’s inconsistent red-ball performance in first round of Duleep Trophy 2025
Nine months later, Shami played his second red-ball clash in the Duleep Trophy 2025 season opener for East Zone. They were up against the North Zone at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. The 35-year-old went through 17 overs across four spells on the opening day of the game.
Under murky skies, getting the chance to bowl the first over, the experienced campaigner hardly got any movement. The tight lines didn’t allow the batters to free their arms, but it wasn’t enough to bag wickets. Shami was mostly trying to find the right seam position and the better lengths in the opening five-over spell.
His three-over burst before the lunch break was nearly similar. The balls drew the batters for several false shots, but the sharpness was missing. There was inconsistency in that spell where he conceded ten runs.
However, there was a huge change in his run-up and delivery stride after the break. In the five-over third spell, the right-arm pacer gave away just nine runs, including two maidens. The batters, who were playing the pacer quite comfortably before that, suddenly got beaten for pace. Amidst plenty of plays and misses, inside edges, and a few false shots, the veteran looked to increase his pace.
These were great moments, but the wickets column was still empty. Shami could have opened his account with the wicket of Kanhaiya Wadhawan in his fourth spell. He got a slight edge down the leg side, but Kumar Kushagra dropped a simple chance behind the stumps.
But the 34-year-old eventually earned his first wicket when he had Sahil Lotra caught behind late in the day. The batter chased the wide ball and edged it to the wicket-keeper.
Among all the bowlers used by captain Riyan Parag, Shami bowled the second-most overs on the first day. He conceded 55 runs in 17 overs for one wicket. However, going back to the dressing room, he would feel the lack of sharpness in those spells. On the second morning, it just became worse, with him giving away 45 runs in just six overs without any success.
In the second innings, the Amroha-born went through just 11 overs for figures of 0/36. On the fourth and final day of the round, he didn’t turn up with the ball at all. That could be a concern for the pacer and also the selection committee before the home season.
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Mohammed Shami’s India future hangs in balance
Ever since injuring his ankle during the 2023 World Cup, Shami has struggled with fitness. He missed the national assignments in 2024 due to recovery from surgery and knee issues. Later, the pacer returned to the T20I side at home against England earlier this year before participating in the Champions Trophy.
It was a decent 50-over event for the fast bowler, who picked up nine wickets in five innings. However, he had a disappointing IPL 2025 campaign for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) with six wickets in nine innings at an economy rate of 11.23.
There is a little more than a month to go before India’s next Test series at home against the West Indies. Shami will definitely look to go through the Duleep Trophy 2025 smoothly. If he doesn’t get the chance to feature against the Caribbean side, then he should aim few Ranji Trophy 2025/26 clashes for Bengal.
Those games will provide a perfect picture of where he stands on the fitness standard before the home South Africa series, starting on November 14. With the management opting for the Bronco test, fitness will be a key factor for any cricketer. And Shami will need to work in that department to prove to the selectors that he is ready to return to Test cricket.
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