Team India captain Shubman Gill addressed the ongoing discussion around Mohammad Shami’s absence from the red-ball squad ahead of the first Test against South Africa at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Despite Shami’s strong form in the 2025–26 Ranji Trophy, where he has taken 15 wickets in three matches at an average of 15.53, the veteran pacer was once again left out of the squad.
Shami, who last featured in a Test during the 2023 WTC Final against Australia, recently found himself in a disagreement with chief selector Ajit Agarkar over the lack of communication regarding his repeated omission.
He was also overlooked for major overseas series, including the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia and the 2025–26 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England, as the selectors prioritized developing a new pace group featuring Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, and Anshul Kamboj.
Shubman Gill justified the decision, noting that the management intends to back the current set of bowlers who have been performing consistently, rather than altering the combination.
“There are not many bowlers of his quality. You cannot ignore the performances of the current bowlers like Akash, Prasidh. Sometimes it’s difficult for players like Shami bhai to miss out. Selectors will be able to give you a better answer,” Gill said during the pre-match press conference ahead of the first Test (via News 18).
India Struggle To Find Reliable Third Seamer Amid Bumrah’s Workload Management
Without Mohammad Shami, Team India have frequently faced challenges in finding a reliable third seamer, particularly in overseas conditions. The situation becomes even trickier with Jasprit Bumrah’s workload management coming into play.
The pace ace participated in both Tests against the West Indies before being rested for the ODI series against Australia. He later returned for the T20I fixtures and is now set to feature once again in the upcoming Test series.
“When we are playing overseas, the workload is higher than when in India. The fast bowlers also know this. The load on fast bowlers when in India won’t be as much as compared to spinners,” Gill said.
Bumrah is viewed as a crucial figure in India’s home Test plans, reflecting the team’s intent to ensure there’s no repeat of the 0–3 setback they suffered against New Zealand in their last home series.
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