Mohammed Shami lashes out at report suggesting his imminent Test retirement

Star Indian pacer Mohammed Shami on Tuesday firmly quashed rumours suggesting his imminent retirement from Test cricket. The speculation emerged after a report by an online news portal claimed that Shami was contemplating stepping away from the longest format in the wake of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s recent retirements.

Currently featuring for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the ongoing IPL 2025, Shami took to Instagram Stories to call out the publication. Sharing a screenshot of the speculative headline, ‘Mohammed Shami Retirement: After Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Indian Pacer Likely To Bid Adieu To Test Cricket’, the veteran pacer did not mince his words.

In his strongly worded response, Shami wrote, “Very well done, Maharaj. Apna job ke din bhi ginloo kitna adieu hai. Badme dekhle humara aap. Jaise ne satyinaash kar diya future ka. Kabhi toh accha bol liya kare. Aaj ka sabse kharab story, sorry. (You should start counting the days left in your own job too, how much of a farewell that is. Deal with me later. You’ve ruined my future with this kind of talk. At least say something good once in a while. This is the worst story of the day, sorry)”

Shami`s Instagram story

Shami last donned the Indian Test jersey in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia at The Oval in June 2023. Since then, he has been recovering from a prolonged injury sustained during the ODI World Cup. He made his return to the Indian setup earlier this year in the T20I series against England and was also part of India’s victorious Champions Trophy campaign in February.

Despite his solid international credentials, 64 Tests, 229 wickets at an impressive average of 27.71, the 34-year-old has struggled to make a mark in the IPL 2025 season. Representing SunRisers Hyderabad, Shami has managed only six wickets from nine outings and has been highly expensive, conceding runs at an economy rate of 11.23.

His form dip has even seen him being dropped from the playing XI in SRH`s match against the Delhi Capitals before the tournament was paused. With IPL 2025 set to resume on May 17, it remains uncertain whether Shami will regain his spot in the side.

This article first appeared on Mid Day