Mohammed Shami’s future in Indian cricket is uncertain at the moment. Mohammed Shami, who was once a fiery force for India in all formats, has been ruled out of all major series this year, including the England Test series, the ODI tour of Australia, the home Test series against West Indies and now the ongoing Test series against South Africa.
At 35, Shami might have played his last match for India. Amid speculation about Shami’s future in India and the IPL, former South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn revealed that he strongly insisted that Shami be brought into the team during his tenure as bowling coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad, but his requests were ignored.
Mohammed Shami’s future uncertain despite domestic cricket exploits
Shami eventually joined Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2025 after Steyn’s departure, but now even SRH are all but confirmed to release the Indian bowler ahead of the 2026 auction. Despite struggling with form and fitness recently, Shami has made a brilliant comeback in domestic cricket.
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His performance in the ongoing 2025-26 Ranji Trophy has been stunning, taking 15 wickets in just three matches, proving that he still has pace and skill. But injuries, age and fitness issues took their toll, leading to franchises being reluctant to depend on him in the IPL.
Dale Steyn reveals he once begged SRH to sign Mohammed Shami
Shami was bought for a whopping ₹10 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction by SRH, but last season was disappointing, with just six wickets in nine matches. Reports claimed that Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) traded Shami from SRH ahead of the IPL 2026 auction despite concerns over his fitness and form.
Dale Steyn was quoted as saying by JioHotstar: “When I was the bowling coach of SRH, I said, ‘Please, can we somehow get Mohammed Shami?’ “And as soon as I was no longer the coach, they got him. I would be disappointed if they lost him. I think fitness and form plays a key role when it comes to IPL, especially with bowlers. You want the bowlers to be fit; you want them to shoot.
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Dale Steyn warns Mohammed Shami
But Steyn made it clear that a fit and performing Shami can still succeed in any team, but struggling or injury-prone spells could sideline him. The Proteas great explained: “And if Shami is fit and performing well, he will be a part of any team. But if he is struggling – he has had a few months off – some teams would say there are other players we would like to bring into the team.”
Steyn finished by saying: “You were good a year and a half ago, but not now. So this release could happen. But yes, three years ago, when I was there, I was begging for it.”
Earlier, India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill hailed Shami as a rare pacer but avoided making any comments on his future with the national team. Gill said only the selectors would be able to explain whether Shami was part of India’s future plan.
