Mohammad Shami has decided to call quits on the legacy format of cricket.
India is currently facing New Zealand in a 5-match ODI series. While the team prepares itself in the bid to win the 2027 World Cup, every fan is waiting for one man to show up. Even though his name was not announced in the playing squad of the India vs. New Zealand matchup, the audience is eagerly awaiting the return of Mohammad Shami to international cricket. However, because BCCI could drop any news about him, Shami himself made an important announcement about his career.
As of November 6, 2026, Mohammad Shami has officially retired from Test cricket. He let the Indian cricket community know about his intentions through a video post on his official social media accounts. Before he hung up the national jersey, Shami thanked all those who supported him during his career and left his fans with a heavy heart. Now, the question that remains is his intentions about retirement in the limited-overs format.
Mohammad Shami leaves behind a legendary career in red-ball cricket
Playing in the test cricket is a dream that only a few Indian stars have fulfilled. And Shami was able to sensationalize the audience right from his debut. In his first test match against the West Indies in 2013, Shami took nine wickets with 118 runs to produce the best numbers by a debuting Indian pacer in the format. In the later years, he would serve as one of the best swing bowlers for the Indian cricket outfit. During the 2019-2021 World Test Cricket Championship, Shami attained seventh position in the ICC Men’s Player Rankings.
Mohammad Shami continued his amazing form during the 2021-2023 WTC Championship to become the fifth and the fastest Indian bowler to reach 200 wickets in Test Cricket. His performance in the format earned him the moniker of ‘The Sultan of Bengal’ by Ravi Shastri, the former head coach of Team India.
“Test cricket has been more than just a format for me; it has been an incredibly special part of my life. Today, with a heavy heart and countless beautiful memories, I am deciding to retire from Test cricket. My heartfelt thanks to every teammate, coach, family member, and those millions of Indians who stood by me on this journey and kept their faith in me through both good times and difficult ones. My heartfelt thanks also to the BCCI and the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), which believed in my talent, gave me opportunities to grow and played an important role in my cricketing journey. Your support and trust will always be special to me,” he wrote on his social media.
Mohammad Shami has bowled his last bowl in the red-ball format, but his presence is something that the Indian team will miss dearly. Having a swing bowler like him was one of the best achievements of Indian cricket, and in the test format, there aren’t many who can rival the effect he brought. Undoubtedly, the Indian team will need to work hard to find a replacement for him.