BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar spoke on the exclusion of veteran pacer Mohammad Shami from the recently announced Team India squad for the West Indies Test series starting October 2. The 15-member India squad was announced on September 25, 2025.

Shubman Gill will lead the team with Ravindra Jadeja as his vice-captain, as Rishabh Pant misses out due to his fractured toe injury. Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, and Sai Sudharsan retained their spots from the England series, but Karun Nair was dropped from the squad in favor of Devdutt Padikkal.

Nitish Kumar Reddy was included as the pace-bowling all-rounder. Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav were chosen as spinners, while Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna made up the pace attack.

Ajit Agarkar explained why Mohammad Shami was once again overlooked for the Test squad for the upcoming series against the West Indies. Shami wasn’t chosen for the England tour, and when reporters asked about his absence from the West Indies series as well, Agarkar stated that a lack of cricket went against Shami.

"I have no update. He has played in the Duleep Trophy. But in the last two or three years, he hasn't played a lot of cricket. I think he played one game for Bengal and one in the Duleep Trophy. As a performer, we know what he can do, but he has to play cricket," said Agarkar, as per India Today.

Agarkar was also questioned about Gurnoor Brar's ascent through the domestic ranks following his recent impressive performance against Australia A. Brar has shown potential recently, according to the BCCI top selector, who stated that they are always searching for fresh pace bowling talent.

Since pacers can sustain injuries quickly and the team management will want adequate backup, Agarkar stated that the goal is to develop a pool of fast bowlers for India.

"We’re always looking. We don’t have an overseas tour for a while, so we’ve got more time. He shows promise. India A tour gave us a chance to see. Not just him, 3 or 4 guys. We want to create a pool of fast bowlers because it’s a more injury-prone job. You want enough backup," said Agarkar.

Ajit Agarkar confirmed that Jasprit Bumrah is available to play both tests against the West Indies amid discussions around his workload management.

Agarkar went on to say that Bumrah has had enough rest and is well enough for the West Indies Tests after missing the fifth Test match against England at the Kennington Oval, and since the Asia Cup matches are evenly spaced out.

"This team is for both tests, so Bumrah is available for both tests. We had a fair break, and he didn't play the fifth Test vs. England. So, we had a fair break. Even the Asia Cup had been spaced out well till last week. So Bumrah is ready and keen to play both matches," Agarkar said.

“Normally, there’s a discussion with physios and trainers and the coach. Obviously, we want the best for him, but the team will always come first. That is always the case. He’s a terrific performer, so we want him available as much as possible, but we have to be careful with him with some big tournaments coming up. But the team always comes first," he added.

Bumrah played three Tests in England and took 14 wickets, including two fifers, with one coming in the Lord’s Test.

India will kick off the series on October 2 at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, followed by the second Test, set for October 10 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.

(India Today inputs)