Mohammed Shami Retires from Test Cricket After 13-Year Career

India’s star fast bowler Mohammed Shami has announced his retirement from Test cricket. The 36-year-old pacer revealed his decision to bring the curtain down on his 13-year Test career through a video message posted on his Instagram account on Friday.

Shami made a remarkable impression on his Test debut against the West Indies on November 6, 2013, claiming nine wickets for 118 runs. Coincidentally, he chose the very same date, November 6, to bid farewell to red-ball cricket. However, while stepping away from Tests, the pacer has confirmed that he will continue playing white-ball international and domestic cricket, including the IPL.

Shami claimed 229 wickets in 64 Tests for India, maintaining an average of 27.71 and a strike rate of 50.2. His performances were particularly impressive on spin-friendly home conditions, where he averaged 22.1 with a strike rate of 42.6. Nearly 45 per cent of his total wickets came through bowled and leg-before-wicket dismissals. One of the most memorable moments of his career came in 2016 when he shattered the stumps while dismissing England batter Alastair Cook.

India won 31 of the 64 Tests in which Shami featured, and he never experienced a home series defeat during his career. His last appearance in Test cricket for India came in the 2023 World Test Championship final.

Born in Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, Shami rose through the ranks of domestic cricket while representing Bengal. He currently represents the Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL. Although he has bid farewell to international red-ball cricket, Shami will remain one of the finest fast bowlers in the history of Indian cricket.