Mohammed Shami hung up his boots on 6th November. Mohammed Shami called curtains on his 10 years long test career which had loads of memories and some low points, but it was a career that gave international cricket, most importantly Indian cricket a bowler which stole the sleep of every batsman.
At only 36, Mohammed Shami took the decision of his life, maybe out of frustration or out of sheer satisfaction. Shami was one of the leaders of the pace attack and played a pivotal role during Virat Kohli’s test captaincy. He was an integral member of the team during the 2018 BGT victory in Australia, eventually India’s first-ever Test series win on Aussie shores. Shami also played a significant role in the Lord’s Test in 2021.
International career of Mohammed Shami
Shami made his Test debut against West Indies in 2013. Ironically, that was Sachin Tendulkar’s final Test, but what stood out in that Test was not only his numbers but also his great control on the line and seam. Shami was a demon with the ball in Test cricket, and his numbers spoke for themselves every time. In 64 Test matches, he has 229 wickets at an average of almost 28. Well, these stats are truly mind-boggling.
Some of his outstanding performances include the five-wicket haul against South Africa in Johannesburg. In the 2018 Test series against South Africa, Shami displayed a demonstration of fast bowling. Picking five-wickets in the final innings and stopping South Africa from an easy victory he changed the result of the game.
Shami was brilliant in Australia and England too. His white ball numbers are not to be overlooked because Shami played a key part in the 2023 World Cup. When the Indian captain Rohit Sharma was looking for an extra bowler, and Hardik Pandya’s sudden injury forced him out of the World Cup, Shami put his hand up. He was the leading wicket-taker in that world cup with 24 wickets in seven matches.
The Key Question
Every good thing comes to an end similarly; now the Indian team must look to groom the next Mohammad Shami. It is a question the team has to answer: who is the next Mohammad Shami? In the current Indian bowling attack, I find two players who have the potential to be as close as Shami, and those are Auqib Nabi and Anshul Kamboj. Both are proven red-ball bowlers and have excellent figures in the Ranji Trophy. In the 2026 Ranji Trophy season, Aqib Nabi was the leading wicket-taker for Kashmir.
With 60 wickets in 10 games, Nabi led Kashmir to its maiden Ranji Trophy final. It was his best season as a fast bowler, and he received his maiden India call immediately after that stellar season. Nabi has had an average start to the ODI series against New Zealand with just two wickets so far in the two ODI matches, but he has the skills in red ball and can be seen as the next Shami. It is up to the team to handle his workload and take care of his body for the long term.
Anshul Kamboj is another fine talent who has the ability to be the next Shami. During the ongoing series against New Zealand, Kamboj has shown a lot of promise. In the second ODI at Wellington, Kamboj bowled 46 dot balls, which increased the pressure on the KIWI batsmen. Kamboj has a terrific Ranji Record as in the 2024 Ranji Trophy season, he made the record of picking all ten wickets against Kerala. Kamboj’s numbers later earned him the India cap, and he has gone on to shine so far.
Kamboj being an all-rounder adds to the depth of batting. Both Kamboj and Nabi must be groomed well to play long enough and, most importantly, to play Test cricket. These players should have the same love and respect for the red ball. The upcoming New Zealand Test series is a golden opportunity for Nabi and Kamboj. Nabi is yet to make his Test debut, while Kamboj has already played a Test match in England, where there were similar conditions.
Kamboj has good control over his line and can swing the Duke’s ball. Nabi has loads of experience in the Ranji Trophy, so he can be a lethal weapon troubling the batsmen. This is a tricky question, but there are always new players and talent oozing out of the Indian team; similarly, a good replacement and a cover for Shami would be Kamboj and Nabi. Undoubtedly, Shami’s retirement has created a huge hole, and it is a big hole to fill, but given a chance, Kamboj and Nabi can make it count.
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