The BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) took centre stage and announced team India’s squad for the upcoming ODI series that will take on New Zealand. It is worth noting that India will lock horns with the Black Caps across three ODIs and the five T20I matches.
With the ODI squad for the series announced, many big names like Ruturaj Gaikwad and Mohammed Shami were not included in the squad. Despite his brilliant form in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26, Shami was not included in the squad.
Speaking on the same, former India international Ravichandran Ashwin took centre stage and talked about how Shami’s exclusion from the squad was something that was expected.
"Shami's exclusion was expected. There is no surprise in that. Virat or Rohit, Shami, the difference between them, the point is, when one-day cricket was not going on, they were still playing Tests or T20s. Shami went out due to injury. People will not agree with this from outside. A way of looking at a batter and bowler becomes different then. For a bowler, if you look at the run-up speed, rhythm, is it the same quality as international cricket you once saw, Shami's case is of optics. Do the selectors believe he can get to the 2027 World Cup? There is a huge difference in the workload of a batter and a fast bowler," Ashwin said in a video on his YouTube channel.
Ashwin gave his take from Shami’s perspective
Furthermore, Ashwin talked about how if he was in Shami’s shoes, he still would have felt unlucky from his exclusion from the squad.
"If I were Shami, I would still feel he is unlucky. But the selectors have continuously given us a story over the last six months that they do not have a doubt about Shami's quality or game, but they have moved on. It is very evident. I did not think he was going to make it, and it was not surprising. They might not be looking at him for the future," he added.
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