Why is Mohammed Shami Dropped for England Test Series?

India’s star pacer Mohammed Shami hasn't been picked for India’s Test squad for the England tour, which begins from June 20. The five-match Test series will be played in England, but Shami is not a part of the team. Notably, Shami is currently playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL 2025. He is fit to bowl in T20 matches but might still not be ready for the rigors of Test cricket.

It is to be noted that Shami played the initial games for SRH in the ongoing IPL but hasn't played in the last few games. SRH skipper Cummins informed that Shami's workload has been managed. The veteran Indian pacer didn't have a great time with the ball. He has been expensive and has been lacking in potency.

Mohammed Shami Dropped for IND vs ENG Tests

According to ESPNCricinfo, the reason for Mohammed Shami dropped for this Test series is that he is still not fit enough to play the longer format. He has not played a Test match since June 2023, when India lost to Australia in the World Test Championship final. A member of the BCCI medical staff visited Lucknow this week to check on Shami. This was before SRH’s game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on May 23. The selectors were thinking of including Shami in the India A team. But that plan was dropped. He is still not ready to bowl long spells.

Shami's unavailability will be a big blow to the Indian team as they prepare for a tough tour to England. He is one of the most experienced members of India's bowling line-up and would have been a big asset to the team. In his absence, Jasprit Bumrah is the most experienced fast bowler in the team and will have the responsibility to lead this attack.

Mohammed Shami in IPL 2025

Shami’s IPL 2025 performance has been poor. He has played only nine of the first 13 matches for SRH, taking just six wickets at an average of 56.16, and an economy of 11.23. He has lacked potency with the new ball and hasn't been a wicket-taking threat like he normally is. His lack of fitness was the primary reason for not being picked for the IND vs ENG Tests.

The selectors decided to give chances to the young names like Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, and Harshit Rana. The lack of experience can hurt India in this tour but it is likely to be a great experience for all these youngsters. All of these bowlers have played in domestic matches or in the IPL. Some have already played for India. They will be hoping to make the squad for the big tour.

Mohammed Shami's List of Injuries

Shami is 34 years old. He had ankle surgery in February 2024 and recovered well. But he then began to feel pain in his right knee. He has been getting treatment for that. The pain has not stopped him from bowling in the IPL. But it has made it hard for him to increase his bowling workload for Test cricket.
Shami was India’s top wicket-taker in ODI World Cup 2023. He played despite being in pain. After that, he missed all matches in 2024 due to injury and recovery. He returned to international cricket in January 2025 during the limited-overs series against England.
During his recovery, Shami had said he felt like a “toddler learning to walk.” He even feared his cricket career might be over. But he made a strong comeback in the Champions Trophy 2025, where he was the joint second-highest wicket-taker, helping India win the title.

India Squad for England Tests

Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (vc, wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Arshdeep Singh