Is India missing Mohammed Shami's X-factor in ODIs?

Mohammed Shami last played for India in the final pf the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Mohammed Shami has been one of the most successful bowlers to have played for India. He is among the few Indian pacers with more than 100 ODIs and 200 wickets to his name. Even in test cricket, he has over 200 wickets and has played a great role in India’s wins in ICC tournaments.

However, despite that, he has been kept on the sidelines. The right-arm pacer is aiming for a comeback to the Indian Cricket Team with his last game being the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final against New Zealand in March 2025. India won the tournament under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, with Shami playing a crucial role in Jasprit Bumrah’s absence.

With Varun Chakravarthy, Shami was the highest wicket-taker for the Men in Blue with nine wickets. Surprisingly, his career took a downward turn after India’s triumph in the ICC tournament. Due to fitness issues, the selectors overlooked him in the ODI and test squads last year.

However, Shami denied fitness concerns and impressed many with his brilliant performances in the domestic circuit for Bengal. Shami’s absence in the ODI series against Australia and South Africa also made a lot of headlines, with fans and cricket pundits backing his comeback in the ODI team.

Mohammed Shami was overlooked for the ODI series against New Zealand

Shami was expected to make a comeback in the ODI series against New Zealand in 2026 following his marvellous performance in Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT)) 2025-26. Across seven games, he registered three-wicket hauls in three matches.

New Zealand ODI series is India’s last campaign ahead of ICC T20 World Cup 2026 and Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. However, selectors went ahead with the likes of Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, and Arshdeep Singh in the pace department against New Zealand.

Surprisingly, many crucial players were rested for the ODI series to manage their workload ahead of ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Despite this, Shami was not given a spot in the squad, with Siraj being the most experienced pacer.

However, the decision has backfired for the Indian Cricket Team. The Shubman Gill & Co. have failed to dominate the Black Caps in the three-match campaign, as the bowling unit failed completely.

New Zealand batters dominated Indian bowlers in all three ODI games

For instance, New Zealand managed to cross 300 runs on the board in the first ODI in Vadodara and chased down the 285-run target like a walk in the park in the second game in Rajkot. In the third ODI, the Black Caps completely overpowered Indian bowlers, smacking a mammoth 337/8 in the first innings.

Prasidh, Siraj, and Rana were picked in the first two games and emerged quite expensive. Arshdeep replaced Prasidh in the third game. Although, he picked three wickets, his economy was over 10. Hence, it is quite evident that India require more firepower in the pace department, and Shami will be a crucial addition.

Notably, Shami holds the record for best bowling figures for India in the 50-over format. He picked 7/57 against New Zealand in ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 semi-final. While the current pace unit has struggled against the Black Caps in the ongoing series, Shami dismantled them with his might a few years ago. The ICC tournament also took place in India like the current IND vs NZ series.

For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.