Agarkar Explains How Shami Can Make It Back To The Indian Side

Mohammed Shami’s public comments after being left out of India’s upcoming ODI squad against Australia gained a lot of traction as he claimed that he's completely fit and is playing Ranji Trophy as a result of that.

Shami, who recently played in Bengal’s Ranji Trophy match, questioned the selection committee’s decision by pointing out that if he was fit enough for domestic cricket, he should have been considered for the 50‑over format too.

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar has finally clarified the reasoning behind the decision to keep him out of the side, and said that the omission was not personal but rather due to concerns over fitness which emerged when he was part of the Indian side during the Champions Trophy early this year. 

“If Shami was here, I would give him an answer. If he is fit, why wouldn’t we have a bowler like Shami? I have had multiple chats with him,” Agarkar told NDTV in a public event. 

“He has been an incredible performer for India. If he said something, maybe that is a conversation for me to have with him or him to have with me, but even before England, we said if he was fit, he would have been on that plane. Unfortunately, he wasn't,” Agarkar added. 

The chief selector also explained that Shami’s comeback in the Indian side now relies on his performance in the first few Ranji games, and that it was only the concerns around his fitness that have kept him out of the side. Once that is proved through the Ranji games, the team would love to have somebody like him in its arsenal. 

“Our domestic season has just started, so we will see if he is fit enough, and we will see where it goes. This is the first round of Ranji games that is going on. We will find out in a couple of more games,” Agarkar said. 

“If he is bowling well, why would you not want to have someone like a Shami? But what we have found in the last six-eight months to a year, even during the Australia tour, we were desperate to have him on, but unfortunately, his fitness wasn't there. If he does stay fit over the next few months, the story might be different, but at this point, as far as I know, he wasn't fit enough for that England tour," Agarkar added.

The 34‑year‑old fast bowler last played for India in the final of the 2025 Champions Trophy against New Zealand, where he began the tournament with a five‑wicket haul against Bangladesh. However, inconsistent performances followed before he regained form in the semi-final with three wickets against Australia.