Mohammed Shami retires from Test cricket with 229 wickets

Mohammed Shami, one of India’s finest fast bowlers, has retired from Test cricket. He announced the decision on Instagram on Friday, 6 November, the 13th anniversary of his Test debut against the West Indies at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens in 2013.

Shami finishes with 229 wickets in 64 Tests at an average of 27.71, taking a wicket every 50 balls, with six five-wicket hauls. That makes him the sixth most successful Indian fast bowler in Test history. He was most feared away from home, where 145 of his wickets came, a rare record for an Indian pace bowler: he was part of the attack that won India its first Test series in Australia, in 2018-19.

Known for an upright seam and late movement off the pitch, he was also capable of surprising with the bat; his unbeaten half-century at Lord’s in 2021 helped set up a famous Indian win.

Why now

Shami last played a Test in the 2023 World Test Championship final against Australia at The Oval. Injuries, including ankle surgery, kept him out for long spells after his outstanding 2023 ODI World Cup, where he was the leading wicket-taker, and he has not played international cricket since the Champions Trophy final in March 2025. With India’s Test attack now built around younger bowlers, a recall had looked increasingly unlikely.

What’s next

Shami, 36, remains available for white-ball cricket, including the Indian Premier League and domestic matches for Bengal.