Delhi and Kolkata Knight Riders pacer Navdeep Saini believes veteran fast bowlers Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar deserve another opportunity with the Indian team. Despite continuing to prove their worth in domestic cricket and the IPL, both pacers remain outside the national team setup as the selectors are yet to clarify whether they will be considered again.
Bhuvneshwar has been particularly impressive in recent IPL seasons. He led Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s bowling attack with consistent performances in the cash-rich league. The 36-year-old enjoyed a stellar 2026 campaign, claiming 28 wickets to finish second on the highest wicket-taker list, behind Gujarat Titans’ Kagiso Rabada. Despite his form, the Indian management continued to back the younger bowlers, who struggled to make an impact in the series against Ireland and England.
Shami’s situation is somewhat different, with chief selector Ajit Agarkar repeatedly raising concerns over his fitness. However, the Bengal pacer has continued to feature regularly in domestic cricket, including the Ranji Trophy. Saini pointed to the physical demands of playing red-ball cricket and stressed that Shami’s workload should not be overlooked.
“I can’t comment on what the selectors are thinking, but as a player, I feel Mohammed Shami or Bhuvneshwar Kumar are performing really well in domestic cricket or IPL. I think they should be selected (to the national team). They are working really hard and it’s not easy to play domestic cricket, particularly Ranji Trophy. It takes a lot of effort to play in the Ranji Trophy. Shami bhai is doing really well and Bhuvi bhai did well in the IPL. He is going to play in the UPT20 league as well. So, I think they should get a chance in the Indian team,” Navdeep answered India TV’s query.
Navdeep’s DPL show
Navdeep is currently representing Outer Delhi Warriors in the Delhi Premier League. He has played six matches, claiming nine wickets at an economy rate of 11.69. His team is currently third on the points table, having won four out of seven games. One of them was called off due to rain.
Speaking to India TV, Navdeep also highlighted the lessons he learned in the purple and gold brigade in the IPL.
“I had a very good time in KKR. I had the opportunity to speak to Dwayne Bravo and the lesson I learned is to back my strength. They told me not to do anything different, but to trust my pace and rest will fall in place,” Navdeep said.
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