Mohammed Shami’s prospects of an international comeback appear increasingly dim as a combination of fitness hurdles, injuries, and unexplained selection omissions have kept the veteran seamer out of the squad since 2025, even as he performs strongly on the domestic circuit. During a recent Cricbuzz discussion addressing India’s bowling vulnerabilities despite a 2-1 ODI series win over the West Indies, former cricketer Dinesh Karthik firmly ruled out bringing Shami back, arguing that the team has progressed beyond him and that looking backward is futile. Karthik instead endorsed the current pool of fast bowlers, which includes established names like Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna, alongside developing talents like Gurnoor Brar, Anshul Kamboj, and Aquib Nabi. Furthermore, Karthik voiced strong support for retaining senior batsmen Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the national setup, cautioning that ODI cricket faces a bleak outlook once the iconic pair steps away from the international stage following the anticipated timeline of next year’s World Cup.
