2 min readApr 7, 2026 10:21 PM IST
Former India opener Aakash Chopra has questioned when veteran pacer Mohammad Shami will begin to get due credits for his performances. The 36-year-old Shami turned back the clock with the Lucknow Super Giants in his previous outing, producing a sensational spell of 2 for 9 in four overs, comprising 18 dot balls and the prized scalps of SunRisers Hyderabad openers Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head.
Having been out of the national set-up since the 2025 Champions Trophy, Shami turned up consistently for Bengal in the 2025-26 domestic season and led the attack across formats.
After his latest exploits, Chopra raised the question as to how and when will Shami begin to find his way back into the national radar.
“Are we giving Mohammad Shami enough credit, and when will we actually give him credit? It’s a big question. Why are we not celebrating him? I am the same person who was saying that the selectors have to choose, and if they are not selecting, they might have seen him, his fitness, and whatever,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
Chopra affirmed that should Shami bear a successful season with LSG, there will be no reasons to keep him out from the national radar any further. Having represented India in three World Cups, Shami leads the wickets tally for India with 55 wickets in 18 matches. Among the most successful Indian pacers across formats, Shami has amassed 462 wickets in 197 international matches.
“I had also said that everyone has to stand up and take notice if he does it in the IPL. Then you cannot say that the opposing team’s standard wasn’t that good. This is the most competitive league in the world. In such a scenario, he bowled four overs for just nine runs and two wickets, including 18 dot balls, in an afternoon game against the SunRisers Hyderabad,” said Chopra.
