'Doesn't seem to be at his best' - BCCI official reveals fate of Mohammed Shami's international return

Published - 08 Oct 2025, 20:30 IST | Updated - 08 Oct 2025, 20:23 IST

An official of the Board of Control for Cricket in India has reportedly spoken on Mohammed Shami's future and his probability of making a comeback to the international cricketing scene. Notably, the Amroha-born Shami last featured for the Men in Blue in the final of the 2025 Champions Trophy, taking nine wickets in five games during the eight-team tournament.

The official underscored Shami's recent underwhelming spell for East Zone in their quarter-final clash against North Zone in Bengaluru. Shami ended up with figures of 1/136 in 34 overs (1/100 in 23 overs and 0/36 in 11 overs). The official also underscored critical aspects like pace and age. He also commented on what the right-arm pacer will have to do to stay relevant in the Indian Premier League.

“At this moment, it’s getting increasingly tougher for Shami to return to the Indian team. In the Duleep game too, he wasn’t too impressive, barring one odd spell," stated the BCCI official, as quoted by The Telegraph.

“Besides, he isn’t getting any younger, while pace-wise, too, he didn’t seem to be at his best in Duleep. But to continue in the IPL, he has to play a decent amount of domestic games," the official added.

Shami was the leading wicket-taker in the World Cup 2023 with 24 wickets in just seven matches. He was a crucial component of India's unbeaten run to the final. However, since the conclusion of the marquee event, things have gone downhill for the right-arm pacer. A combination of injuries, form, and fitness has proved detrimental for him.

Manoj Tiwary reacts to Harshit's selection over Shami

Speaking of how his IPL 2025 panned out, Shami was overly expensive with an economy rate of 11.23. He could pick up only six wickets in nine matches in what was a lukewarm season for Sunrisers Hyderabad. The runners-up of the 2024 instalment won only six out of 14 games, losing seven and one contest getting called off due to incessant rain.