Is Mohammed Shami Dropped Against RR? Rishabh Pant Names His Replacement

LSG fast bowler Mohammed Shami is not playing the 64th match of IPL 2026 against Rajasthan Royals. Shami, who has been excellent throughout the season with the new ball, has been surprisingly left out of the team for this game.

Lucknow Super Giants have an excellent battery of Indian pace bowlers and Shami is arguably the leader of this pack. He has played all the games this season which makes his absence from the RR vs LSG match even more shocking.

Is Mohammed Shami Dropped By LSG?

During the toss, LSG captain Rishabh Pant revealed all the changes in his team, which also included Mohammed Shami's absence. Pant revealed that the left-arm seamer Mohsin Khan has been included as Mohammed Shami replacement for this match.

When Ian Bishop asked the reason of Shami's absence from the playing 11, there was some confusion between the two. Pant didn't reveal the exact reason behind Shami not playing this match but it is likely that he has been rested after a long season.

Shami, one of the best bowlers in the world, has been picking up wickets constantly with the new ball this season. However, his returns seem to deteriorate during the death overs, where he has been expensive at times. However, he has given LSG some bright moments this season.

Mohammed Shami's Mixed IPL Season

Shami has picked up 10 wickets this season at an average of more than 40. While he started the season well, his returns diminished as the season went ahead. With LSG having plenty of Indian quicks in their squad, Mohammed Shami getting dropped was always on the cards.

However, he has been one of the best bowlers in IPL and his presence in the squad is always useful for the young bowlers. His replacement for this game, Mohsin Khan, has also been impressive and has a chance to put up a show against RR.

Mohammed Shami last international match was way back in March 2025 during the Champions Trophy final. Since then, he has been out of the national selection due to injury and form issues. While there have been calls of getting him back into the team from the fans, he still remains out of contention.