The Disappearance of Mohammed Shami: Why was he excluded from India’s Test squad for the series against New Zealand?

New Delhi: India has announced its 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match Test series against New Zealand in preparation for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. One of the notable changes is Jasprit Bumrah being appointed as the vice-captain of the team.

In a surprising decision, the selectors omitted Mohammed Shami from the squad for the upcoming series against New Zealand, as the seasoned pacer has been sidelined since the 2023 ODI World Cup final in November due to an injury that required surgery. Shami will be eager to make his comeback in the forthcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

With the matches taking place in India, Rohit Sharma will heavily depend on his spin department, featuring R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav.

Meanwhile, the pace department will feature Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Akash Deep. The spin-friendly wickets in India have provided Mohammed Shami with additional time to recover. Yash Dayal, who received his maiden Test call-up for the Bangladesh series, also missed out on the squad.

India did not appoint a designated vice-captain for the Bangladesh series; however, Bumrah has previously filled that role and has also captained the team once. Meanwhile, Mayank Yadav, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, and Nitish Kumar Reddy have been named as traveling reserves for the series.

Fans are eagerly awaiting Mohammed Shami’s return in November, a comeback that could reignite his career after being sidelined. Renowned for his exceptional bowling speed, which peaked at 153.2 km/h against Australia in the 2014 series at the MCG, Shami’s success is attributed to his smooth run-up and wrist action. His lethal wicket-taking ability, combined with his skillful reverse swing, often makes him an unplayable bowler.

India currently leads the WTC table, while New Zealand sits in sixth place. A series victory would strengthen India’s position ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, bringing them closer to their goal of reaching a third WTC final.