Mohammed Shami has announced his retirement from Test cricket, bringing the curtain down on a 13-year career in the longest format.
The 36-year-old shared the news in an emotional video on Instagram on Friday, exactly 13 years to the day since he made his Test debut. Shami received his Test cap — number 279 — on 6 November 2013, against West Indies at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, where he took nine wickets in the match as India won by an innings and 51 runs.
Shami's Test career in numbers
Shami finishes with 229 wickets from 64 Tests at an average of 27.71, including six five-wicket hauls. That makes him India's sixth-most successful fast bowler in Test cricket, behind only Kapil Dev, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Javagal Srinath and Jasprit Bumrah.
His last Test appearance came in the 2023 World Test Championship final against Australia at The Oval, and he has not played international cricket since the Champions Trophy final in March 2025.
Not the end of his playing career
But this is not the end of Shami's playing career. He will continue in white-ball cricket — he plays for Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL and has been named in Bengal's squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which starts on 14 November. He has also said he will keep playing four-day cricket when his fitness allows.
What Shami said
"Today, with a heavy heart and countless beautiful memories, I am taking the decision to retire from Test cricket," Shami said. "I am bidding farewell to the white jersey, but never to the memories associated with it."
Source: ICC