Former India captain and former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly fully supports Mohammad Shamiurging the selectors to bring back the experienced pacer to the Indian national team. Speaking at an event in Kolkata ahead of Kolkata Knight Riders’ clash with Lucknow Supergiants, Ganguly made a strong case for Shami’s return, saying the veteran should share the new ball with the team Jasprit Bumrah.Shami, who was transferred from Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 10 crore and currently represents Lucknow Super Giants, made an immediate impact in IPL 2026 with his stellar performances.Against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 5, he had a brilliant performance of 2/9 in four overs, including 18 wickets, dismissing dangerous openers Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head early in the innings. Earlier, against Delhi Capitals, he scored the first ball, picking off KL Rahul for a golden duck and ended the match with 1/28.
Ganguly was particularly impressed with Shami’s performance against SRH, calling it “phenomenal” given the quality of the opponents.“He should be bowling at the other end of Jasprit Bumrah and not elsewhere. That’s how he performed. We all saw a spell like this the other night against Sunrisers Hyderabad, nine runs in four overs against two of the best T20 players, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma. It was just awesome,” Ganguly said.Domestic form and fitness focusThe former India captain also highlighted Shami’s stellar domestic form, recalling his eight-wicket haul in the Indian team. ranji trophy Semi-final against Bangladesh.“He had a strong Ranji Trophy season with Bengal. I still remember that semi-final, even though Bengal lost, he picked up eight wickets. He was instrumental in taking the team to this point and I’m happy that he wants to continue playing in the Ranji Trophy. It’s tough for a fast bowler, but there’s nothing better than watching Mohammad Shami run in with the new ball,” he said. Despite Shami’s consistent performances in domestic cricket and the Indian Cricket League, he still hasn’t made it into the Indian team under the chief selectors Ajit Agarkar. Ganguly, however, believes the pacer still has a lot to offer at the highest level.“He looks fit and sharp. After bowling consistently, you reach your peak. I still believe he should play for India. Hopefully his time will come again because he is just that good,” Ganguly added.
