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'There must be reasons' - Mohammed Shami's non-selection decoded

Mohammed Shami was left out of India's sixteen-player Test squad for the upcoming two-match series against New Zealand, which gets underway on November 19, 2026. The thirty-six-year-old fast bowler, who has claimed two hundred twenty-nine wickets across sixty-four Tests, has not featured in the format since June 2023 and last appeared for the national team during the Champions Trophy final in March 2025.

Former cricketers have expressed differing views on the omission, with Mohammad Kaif questioning the lack of transparency from selectors, while Abhinav Mukund suggested that age is not a determining factor since thirty-six-year-old Bhuvneshwar Kumar earned a recall to the T20I setup.

The selectors refreshed the pace bowling group by recalling Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, and Anshul Kamboj for the red-ball fixtures, while Gurnoor Brar, Auqib Nabi, Sarfaraz Khan, and Saransh Jain were omitted. Shubman Gill will captain the squad, with KL Rahul serving as vice-captain.

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