Mohammed Shami's place in India's plans seems to be under review. The veteran fast bowler has not played a single match for his country in over a year, and his last appearance was the Champions Trophy 2025 final. Under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir and with Ajit Agarkar leading the BCCI selection committee, it is evident that India has moved on without Shami, with his injuries and advancing age still being a topic of discussion.
However, the former India bowling coach Bharat Arun feels that the door should not be shut completely to Mohammed Shami. The fast bowler continues to perform well in the domestic circuit and has the chance to achieve a remarkable first-class milestone.
'There Is Still Plenty of Cricket Left in Him,' says Bharat Arun About Mohammed Shami
“They shouldn't have closed the door; there is still more cricket in him.” These were the words of Bharat Arun, who revealed that Shami's age would no longer be a determining factor if he manages to keep knocking on the door with his performances.
They say that when a man does his job well, the reward is always greater than any expectations he had for himself; Shami and his performance levels in first-class cricket speak for themselves.
“While he remains in good form, age is no barrier. You have seen his consistency, his durability. This is an extraordinary statistic for the kind of talent that he has. On the contrary, it is actually befitting for Shami. 100 first-class matches with his beloved red ball,” said Arun on Shami registering his hundredth first-class match with East Zone in the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2026 final.
Incidentally, if Shami manages to pull through with East Zone, he will make history by playing his 100th first-class match.
The match includes 64 Tests for India in his bag, though his last Test match was over three years ago.
For a bowler who has been on the red ball circuit for the majority of his career, this is a rather special achievement.
Mohammed Shami's Passion for Bowling Hasn't Changed
In Shami's case, his passion for bowling has always been the driving force behind his performances, the former bowling coach said.
“He loves bowling. It doesn't matter if it's in the nets or in the match. Given a red ball or any other ball, he would mark his run-ups and start bowling,” Arun said.
The same love for bowling has helped Shami deliver despite the circumstances.
With no opportunities in the Indian team, the pacer hasn't missed an opportunity to collect wickets in the domestic circuit, registering impressive statistics with a career that has reached the 99-match mark in first-class cricket.
With an average of 26.30, Shami has better stats in first-class than in Tests (27.71) and this has kept hopes high for Shami's return to the national team as an important bowler.
East Zone skipper Ishan Kishan has noticed Shami's desire to return to the national fold.
“It's hard to have that same kind of drive to play domestic games when you aren't playing regularly for the Indian team, but it's there. I can see it in Shami,” Ishan said on the eve of the final at the Duleep Trophy final.
“I think he has that hunger and that motivation right now, like he wants to make that comeback, he wants to be a part of the Indian team again, which you can see in him.”
This is yet another sign that Shami has not given up on international cricket and, in fact, has made preparations to return to the fold at the earliest.
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In addition to the 99 first-class matches, Shami also delivered a solid IPL 2026 with the Lucknow Super Giants, posting a decent 12 wickets in 13 matches as the main fast bowler in the all-Indian pace attack.
Although his performance may not seem overwhelming at first glance, it demonstrates that Shami is still capable of performing at the highest level.
But will it be enough to convince the selectors to give him another chance?
So far, Shami's domestic performance speaks for itself and, as long as it remains strong, his international future should be secure.
“I think it is important he gets the rewards of his consistency in domestic cricket. I don't want the door to be shut for him as far as international cricket is concerned. He is still a quality bowler,” added Arun.
And at least for now, Shami's national career may not be over after all.