Mohammad Shami played 64 Tests for India from 2013-2023.
Ace Indian pacer Mohammad Shami announced his retirement from Test cricket on November 7, 2026, in an emotional post on social media. He reflected on his journey in whites with the Indian team and the Bengal side and thanked his teammates, coaches, family, the BCCI, and the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB).
Notably, Mohammad Shami last played a Test for India in 2023, which was the final of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC 2023) against Australia. He then featured for India in their dominant run in the 2023 World Cup but was then out for 18 months due to a knee and ankle injury.
He returned to the Indian side and helped win the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai, but he was not picked for India after that tournament. With fitness concerns and fierce competition for places in India’s Test pace bowling attack, Shami was not considered for red-ball cricket across multiple series.
Shami did his best in domestic cricket for Bengal to show his fitness and form, but the Indian Test team didn’t call on him.
"Safed jersey se vida le raha hoon, lekin usse judi yaadon se kabhi nahi... Jab pehli baar Bharat ki Test jersey pehni thi, tab sirf ek sapna tha—apne desh ke liye kuch kar dikhane ka... Uske baad har wicket, har sangharsh, har chot aur har comeback ne mujhe kuch na kuch sikhaya. Test cricket mere liye sirf ek format nahi, meri zindagi ka ek behad khaas hissa raha hai. Aaj bhaari dil aur anginat khoobsurat yaadon ke saath main Test cricket se retirement lene ka faisla kar raha hoon,” Shami stated in an emotional video on his Instagram page.
"Is safar mein mera saath dene wale har teammate, coach, family aur un karodon Bharatiyon ka dil se shukriya, jinhone achhe aur mushkil dono waqt mein mujh par bharosa banaye rakha. BCCI aur Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) ka bhi dil se shukriya, jinhone mere talent par bharosa kiya, mujhe aage badhne ke mauke diye aur mere cricket ke safar mein ek aham bhoomika nibhayi. Aapka saath aur vishwas mere liye hamesha khaas rahega.
Maidan par meri aakhri test ball bhale hi fenki ja chuki ho, lekin Bharat ke liye khelne ka garv hamesha mere dil mein zinda rahega. Shukriya, Test Cricket,” Shami posted.
Mohammed Shami made his Test debut against the West Indies at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on November 6, 2013, and picked up a five-wicket haul in his debut Test. He formed a feared Indian fast bowling trio with Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav and was part of India’s first-ever Test series win in Australia in 2018-19.
Across 64 Tests, Shami claimed 229 wickets at an average of 27.71 and an economy rate of 3.30. His best innings figures were 6/56, while his best match figures stood at 9/118. He finished with six five-wicket hauls. He was handy with the bat, scoring 950 runs with two fifties to his name.
After he announced his retirement from Test cricket, Shami received many wishes from his former teammates and members of the Indian cricket fraternity.
Here are the posts: