Before India tours New Zealand, Aakash Chopra, the ex-India opener, said that Mohammad Shami won't make his way back into the Indian team, like Bhuvneshwar Kumar, just because the BCCI chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, has ended his tenure.
The selectors have brought back Bhuvneshwar for the T20I series comprising five matches against New Zealand. The touring party of India will also play five ODIs and two Tests in New Zealand, but the team hasn't been announced yet for these formats.
Aakash Chopra shared his views, saying that just because Agarkar has left the selection committee, it will not mean that Mohammad Shami will return to the Indian team.
"If Bhuvi has come, will Shami also come? Many people are saying that Bhuvi came as soon as Ajit left and that Shami would also come. I think we will be fooling ourselves if we feel that one guy was stopping everyone, that only he was resisting and everyone else wanted to pick them.
It cannot be like that. It is not possible because it is a five-member selection committee, and I can actually vouch that I have spoken to the selectors, and all of them are on the same page. So, it's not like the chairman randomly said it and everyone was agreeing," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
Notably, Mohammad Shami last played for India in the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025 and since then has been a consistent performer in domestic cricket but hasn’t been considered for the Men in Blue side.
It was emphasized by Chopra that all five selectors are a part of the selection process. Further, he noted that the captain, coach, and the BCCI secretary are also a part of the discussions. Moreover, the role of the chief selector is not dictatorial.
Chopra also stated that in case Mohammad Shami is recalled to the Indian team for New Zealand ODIs, this might be his last chance to make a comeback.
"There are discussions that Shami's name might come in the ODI team. I am not saying that it cannot come, but will it come because of Ajit Agarkar leaving? I don't agree. However, the big thing is that this is your last opportunity if you are looking at the 2027 World Cup because after this? Will it be against Sri Lanka or Zimbabwe, and then BGT, which he might not play, and then the IPL?" Chopra said.
While opining that Shami could return, the cricketer-turned-commentator expressed uncertainty about the veteran seamer's selection.
"If you don't decide here, it will be too late. So, will Mohammad Shami actually be back? I don't have any inside information. I met RP Singh in Lucknow. I don't ask these questions. Even if he tells me, I won't tell it here. Not outside the realm of possibilities, but we really don't know whether it would happen or not," Chopra concluded.
Shami has 206 wickets at an economy rate of 5.58 in 108 ODIs. He was instrumental in India’s amazing run to the final of the 2023 World Cup, with 24 wickets to his name, including three five-wicket hauls and the best bowling figures of 7/57.
