Veteran Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami has announced his retirement from Test cricket and concluding an impressive 13-year red-ball career. The 36-year-old shared his decision on Friday via social media also marking the exact anniversary of his Test debut in November 2013.
Shami finishes his Test career as India's sixth most successful fast bowler with taking 229 wickets across 64 matches at an average of 27.71. He made an immediate impact on debut against the West Indies in 2013 with taking a match haul of 9 for 118 with masterful reverse swing.
"In this 13-year journey, this cap made me Mohammed Shami" Shami said in his video message. "I am leaving Test cricket but I will continue to play white-ball cricket including the IPL and domestic formats."
Renowned for his upright seam position and relentless stump-to-stump accuracy nearly 45% of Shami's Test dismissals came via bowled or lbw. He was particularly lethal in home conditions, averaging 22.10 in India and maintaining one of the finest domestic strike rates for an Indian pacer. India won 31 of the 64 Tests he featured in and never lost a home series during his tenure.
Shami’s final Test appearance for India was the World Test Championship final in 2023. At the domestic level, he continues to represent Bengal in the Ranji Trophy and plays for the Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL.
