Sourav Ganguly, the former captain of the Indian cricket team, defended veteran pacer Mohammed Shami on Thursday, rejecting claims that Shami is being overlooked by the selectors. Ganguly emphasized that Shami, who has not played for the national team since the Champions Trophy in 2025, is still a top performer and has contributed significantly to the sport.
At 36 years old, Shami played a crucial role in India’s title victory during the Champions Trophy and has continued to compete at the domestic level. Recently, he helped East Zone secure the Duleep Trophy after a 13-year gap, showcasing his enduring skill and commitment to the game.
“He is not being neglected. He has played a lot. He is an absolute champion. But as you grow older, this happens. So this happens with everyone. Talking to reporters at the Eden Gardens, the CAB president further congratulated the East Zone side for winning the Duleep Trophy after a long wait. “I spoke to Kishan this afternoon. It’s terrific and remarkable. Every young player wants to play Test cricket, and hopefully he will. He played exceptionally well in all the finals of the Vijay Hazare, Syed Mushtaq Ali, and Duleep Trophy. “If he performs, I think for every young player Test cricket should be important. They must want to play Test cricket and hopefully he will. He gets runs in big matches…. Vijay Hazare final, Mushtaq final, Duleep Trophy final.
Asked about Shami’s chances of making a comeback for the 2027 ODI World Cup, Ganguly said it was too early to make a prediction. Ganguly also pushed back when asked about Shami being neglected by the senior men’s selection panel, drawing a parallel with his own experience of being left out of India’s World Cup plans despite having scored more than 10,000 international runs. When I got left out from World Cup one-day cricket for a year, after scoring 10,000 runs, I found my way to come back. Kishan last played Test cricket for India against the West Indies in July 2023.
