He may be down for the moment, but Mohammed Shami isn’t sounding like a man ready to fade away. If anything, he sounds driven.
At the News18 Rising Bharat Summit, the 35-year-old laid bare the mindset that
continues to power him through uncertainty, injuries, and selection snubs.
“I always say this: no matter what you do or which sport you play, if you have potential, don’t waste it. If there’s fuel in your tank, it’s on you to use every last drop and keep pushing forward,” Shami said.
It didn’t come across as a generic motivational line. It felt personal.
After returning from a long injury layoff in November 2024, Shami has been grinding it out in domestic cricket with Bengal. In the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2025–26 season, he has been among the standout performers. His career-best 8/90 against Jammu and Kashmir in the semi-final underlined his timeless skill.
In 12 innings this season, Shami has picked up 36 wickets, currently the sixth-highest tally in the competition.
Yet, despite a brief international return at the start of 2025 — featuring in T20Is and India’s successful Champions Trophy campaign — Shami hasn’t been picked in any subsequent India squad. He was overlooked for the home Test series against West Indies and South Africa in 2025, and wasn’t part of the white-ball tour of Australia either.
Questions linger around whether the veteran of 64 Tests can endure the physical demands of five-day cricket again.
Through it all, his message hasn’t wavered.
“When it comes to representing my country, I’d give everything I have. I never want to look back and regret leaving even a fraction of my potential untapped,” he said at the News18 Rising Bharat Summit.
For Shami, the motivation is clear: it’s not about noise or narratives, but about readiness.
Last October, after claiming a five-wicket haul against Gujarat in the Ranji season, he had made his intentions equally clear.
“A lot of hard work is there, and I believe luck too plays a part. Every person wants to play for the country. So, I am ready for that (again),” Shami told reporters.
“My motivation is to stay fit and be available for the Indian team at all times. On the ground, I will continue to perform, and the rest is in the selectors’ hands.”
A quiet reminder to Ajit Agarkar and the BCCI? Perhaps.
What’s undeniable is this: Shami is letting the numbers talk. And as he put it himself, if there’s still fuel in the tank, he intends to use every last drop.
