Mohammed Shami has retired from Test cricket. The 36-year-old India fast bowler announced it in an Instagram video on Friday, November 6, 2026, exactly 13 years after his Test debut. He finishes with 229 wickets in 64 Tests at an average of 27.71, and he says he will keep playing white-ball cricket.[1][2]
 | |
| Country | India |
|---|---|
| Role | Right-arm fast bowler |
| Domestic team | Bengal |
| Test debut | November 6, 2013, v West Indies, Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| Last Test | June 2023, World Test Championship final v Australia, The Oval |
| Matches | 64 |
| Wickets | 229 |
| Average | 27.71 |
| Five-wicket hauls | 6 |
| Best bowling | 6/56 v Australia, Perth, 2018 |
| Retired | November 6, 2026 (Tests only) |
The decision did not come as a big surprise in India. Shami had not played a Test for more than three years, and his last match for India in any format was the 2025 Champions Trophy, which India won. He kept taking wickets for Bengal, but the selectors had moved on to younger fast bowlers.[1][2]
What Shami said
Shami posted a video message with a long note in Hindi, written in Roman script, on the evening of November 6. In it he says he is saying goodbye to the white jersey but not to the memories that came with it. He writes that every wicket, struggle, injury and comeback taught him something, and that Test cricket was "not just a format" for him but a very special part of his life.[1][3]
He thanked his teammates, coaches, family and fans, and named two bodies: the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). The note ends with "Shukriya, Test Cricket" (Thank you, Test cricket).[3]
Career timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| November 6, 2013 | Test debut against West Indies at Eden Gardens. Takes nine wickets in the match. |
| January 2018 | 5/28 in the second innings at Johannesburg. India win by 63 runs. |
| December 2018 | Career-best 6/56 at Perth against Australia. |
| June 2021 | Part of the India side in the first World Test Championship final. |
| August 2021 | Unbeaten 56 with the bat at Lord's, setting up an India win. |
| December 2021 | Eight wickets in the match at Centurion. India win by 113 runs. |
| June 2023 | Last Test: World Test Championship final against Australia at The Oval. |
| March 2025 | Last match for India in any format, the Champions Trophy, which India win. |
| November 6, 2026 | Retires from Test cricket, 13 years to the day after his debut. |
Dates and figures from the Hindustan Times, The Hindu and Sportstar.[1][2][3][4][5]
Shami's Test numbers, explained
The headline figures are 64 Tests, 229 wickets and an average of 27.71, with six five-wicket hauls. The Hindustan Times noted he was only the fifth Indian fast bowler to pass 200 Test wickets, which shows how rare long Test careers have been for Indian quicks.[1][2]
The more telling numbers are from away tours. A Hindustan Times analysis found that 145 of his wickets, about 63 percent, came in 41 Tests outside India. That is unusual for an Indian bowler, because home pitches in India usually favour spinners.[4]
| Situation | Tests | Wickets | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Tests | 64 | 229 | 27.71 |
| Away Tests | 41 | 145 | n/a |
| Away Tests India won | 14 | 55 | 22.49 |
| Tests in England | 12 | 34 | 42.14 |
| Tests in New Zealand | 4 | 15 | 35.60 |
| Two India wins in South Africa | 2 | 14 | 12.93 |
Split figures from the Hindustan Times analysis of his away record.[4]
The table shows two sides of his career. In South Africa he was close to unplayable, taking 35 percent of India's wickets in the two Tests India won there. England, where the ball usually swings most, was where his figures were worst. Across all formats he took 462 international wickets: 229 in Tests, 206 in ODIs and the rest in T20 internationals.[4][6]
His best Test spells
Debut at Eden Gardens, 2013
Shami was 23 and was picked ahead of more experienced bowlers. On a slow pitch he got the old ball to reverse swing and took nine wickets, six of them bowled. West Indies captain Darren Sammy said afterwards that the difference was Shami's length, and that he had shown the visiting bowlers how it should be done.[5]
Johannesburg, 2018
South Africa were 124 for 1 chasing 241 when Shami came back and took four wickets for 10 runs. He finished with 5/28 and India won by 63 runs.[4]
Perth, 2018
He went wicketless in the first innings, then took 6/56 in the second, including Usman Khawaja, Tim Paine and Aaron Finch. India still lost the match by 146 runs, but it remained his career-best.[4][5]
Centurion, 2021
He took 5/44 in the first innings and three more in the second, for match figures of 8/107. India won by 113 runs.[4]
Why he retired now
Shami did not give a reason in his message, but the background is clear from the reports. Injuries interrupted his career after the 2023 final, and he was left out of India's Test squads after returning to fitness. When he was overlooked for the home Tests against West Indies in 2025, the then chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, questioned his fitness. Shami answered publicly that he would not be playing Ranji Trophy matches for Bengal if he were unfit.[1]
He kept performing in domestic cricket. This season he had 14 wickets in three Ranji Trophy matches, after seven wickets in three Duleep Trophy games for East Zone. With no call-up coming, retiring from Tests at 36 lets him focus on the shorter formats.[1]
What happens next
Shami is not leaving cricket. On the same day he announced his Test retirement, he was named in Bengal's 19-man squad for the 2026-27 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, India's domestic T20 competition. He remains available for selection in ODIs and T20 internationals, and Sportstar reported he plans to keep playing in the IPL.[1][6]
India bowling coach Morne Morkel, who worked with him briefly at the 2025 Champions Trophy, called it "a sad day to see him go" and said Shami helped him understand the dressing room when he first joined the staff.[6]
Frequently asked questions
Has Mohammed Shami retired from all cricket?
No. He has retired from Test cricket only. He will keep playing white-ball cricket for Bengal and remains available for India in ODIs and T20s.
How many Test wickets did Shami take?
229 wickets in 64 Tests, at an average of 27.71, with six five-wicket hauls.
What is Shami's best bowling in Tests?
6/56 against Australia at Perth in December 2018.
When was Shami's last Test match?
The World Test Championship final against Australia at The Oval in June 2023.
When did Shami announce his retirement?
On Friday, November 6, 2026, through an Instagram video. It was 13 years to the day after his Test debut against West Indies in Kolkata.
Will Shami play in the IPL?
Yes, as far as is known. Reports say he will continue in white-ball cricket, including the IPL, and he has been picked for Bengal's T20 squad.
References
- "Mohammed Shami announces retirement from Test cricket". Hindustan Times. November 6, 2026.
- "Mohammed Shami retires from Test cricket, to continue playing white-ball formats". The Hindu. November 7, 2026.
- "Mohammed Shami retires from Test cricket". Sportstar. November 6, 2026.
- "The Mohammed Shami effect: Match-winning spells, heroic despite defeats and an overseas legacy beyond numbers". Hindustan Times. November 7, 2026.
- "Mohammed Shami's top five Test spells: From Perth magic to Eden Gardens debut destruction". Sportstar. November 7, 2026.
- "Shami helped me lot when I joined Indian dressing room: Bowling coach Morne Morkel". Sportstar. November 7, 2026.