Mohammed Shami was excluded from India’s 2026 T20 World Cup squad mainly because of worries about his fitness, his age and workload, and the selectors’ policy. It is not because anyone doubts his talent or his performances in big tournaments.
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Fitness and injury concerns
- Since the 2023 ODI World Cup, selectors and BCCI officials have said that Shami’s ankle and knee problems are the main reason he is not being picked in India’s white-ball teams.
- He had surgery and spent a long time recovering. The selectors have clearly said that before choosing him again for big ICC tournaments, they first want to see him play regularly and stay fit in domestic cricket.
- India’s selectors are now backing younger fast bowlers for future white‑ball ICC tournaments. Because of this youth-first plan and his recent injuries, 36-year-old Mohammed Shami has naturally slipped down the T20 pecking order.
Not dropped due to performance
- They all agree the problem isn’t Shami’s skill. His strike rate in ICC tournaments and his recent domestic wickets still prove he’s good enough.
- They are skipping him for the 2026 T20 World Cup mainly to manage fitness and conditions, not because they think he isn’t good enough for India anymore.
Also Read: India’s best T20I XI not selected for the 2026 World Cup
India’s squad for T20I World Cup is:
| SuryaKumar Yadav (c) |
| Abhishek Sharma |
| Sanju Samson |
| Tilak Varma |
| Hardik Pandya |
| Shivam Dube |
| Axar Patel (vc) |
| Rinku Singh |
| Jasprit Bumrah |
| Harshit Sharma |
| Arshdeep Singh |
| Kuldeep Yadav |
| Varun Chakravarthy |
| Washingtone Sundar |
| Ishan Kishan |
Fans react strongly and has made it clear that he is not in India’s plans for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
