Former India opener Aakash Chopra has claimed that he has personally spoken to the selectors and that all members of the five-person selection committee are on the same page regarding Mohammed Shami‘s potential return for India’s upcoming tour of New Zealand in 2026. The tour comprises five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests.
Shami was not included in India’s ODI squad for the New Zealand series, which was announced on January 3, 2026. He was also excluded from the Test squad due to an ankle injury. However, Shami was included in India’s T20I squad for the same tour. His last international appearance came in the Champions Trophy 2025 final on March 9, 2025.
The discussion around Shami’s selection gained momentum after Bhuvneshwar Kumar was recalled to India’s T20I squad for the five-match series against New Zealand, and following the news that Ajit Agarkar is no longer the chairman of selectors. Chopra addressed the speculation directly.
“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,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
Why does Chopra believe Shami’s exclusion was a collective decision?
Chopra’s central argument is that the selection committee functions as a collective body and that no single individual, including the chairman, can unilaterally determine who is picked or left out. He stressed that attributing Shami’s absence solely to Agarkar’s influence would be an oversimplification of how the committee operates. Chopra further noted that discussions around Shami’s name appearing in the ODI squad are ongoing, but he was firm that any such inclusion would not be a direct consequence of Agarkar’s departure.
“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? That 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 when after this? Will it be against Sri Lanka or Zimbabwe, and then BGT, which he might not play, and then the IPL,” he said.
Chopra also referenced a meeting with RP Singh in Lucknow while discussing the matter, though he was careful not to disclose any information shared in that conversation.
“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 added.
What does Shami’s ODI record say about his case for selection?
Mohammad Shami’s record in ODI cricket makes him one of India’s most effective pace bowlers in the format. Across 108 ODIs, he has taken 206 wickets at an economy rate of 5.58, figures that underline his consistency and control over an extended period.
The BCCI’s position on Shami’s immediate future was also referenced in the discussion, with the board having communicated to him, “This is your last opportunity,” in the context of the 2027 World Cup cycle. This adds weight to the view that the upcoming New Zealand series could be a significant window for Shami to press his case for ODI selection.
“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.
Shami’s fitness and availability as of October 2026 remain unconfirmed in the available evidence, and no official statement on his current injury status has been supplied for this report.
