Team India’s fast bowler Mohammed Shami impressed with his bowling performance against Haryana during the final group stage match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The right-arm fast bowler took four wickets for 30 runs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Monday, December 8.
Shami’s performance in domestic cricket has raised concerns about his absence from the national team. He remains one of the most effective fast bowlers in the country with match-winning spells and clear signs of excellent form. However, there is still no clarity on why he has not been called back into the team setup.
Mohammed Shami shines with 4/30 as Bengal restrict Haryana to 191
Mohammed Shami performed brilliantly against Haryana. However, Bengal scored 191 runs for nine wickets in 20 overs.
Shami took 4 wickets for 30 runs in his four overs. Haryana’s batsmen showed good control while targeting the other bowlers and the remaining five wickets were distributed among the rest of the attack.
Shami dismissed Sumit Kumar and Ashish Siwach in the 18th over and then took two more wickets on the last two balls of the innings. His attacks in the death overs helped restrict Haryana to a lower than expected score.
Mohammed Shami has not played for India yet since the Champions Trophy 2025 final
Mohammed Shami has not played for India since the Champions Trophy final in March 2025. Notably, he finished that tournament as one of the team’s top wicket-takers. However, his name was not considered for the tours of England and Australia as well as the home series against West Indies and South Africa.
Shami showed full fitness and strong form for Bengal, taking wickets in the Ranji Trophy and performing well in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. This has raised doubts about whether “fitness concerns” were ever the real reason for his exclusion.
The selectors are focusing more on grooming young fast bowlers like Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana for the T20 World Cup in 2026 and the ODI edition in 2027. The selectors and team management are moving away from him in the current setup.
India starts T20 series against South Africa
India are set to begin their five-match T20I series against South Africa on December 9 to prepare for the 2026 World Cup. Suryakumar Yadav will remain the captain and Shubman Gill has been made his deputy for the tour.
Gill suffered a neck injury during the first Test in Kolkata. He lasted only a short time at the crease before retiring hurt and was unavailable for the rest of the match. The injury also ruled him out of the second Test in Guwahati, where India suffered a heavy defeat and lost the series.
Gill has been included in the T20 team, the board has made it clear that he can play only if he passes the medical examination. This series will be played from 9 to 19 December at five venues Cuttack, New Chandigarh, Dharamshala, Lucknow and Ahmedabad.
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