Mohammed Shami retires from Tests, 13 years after Eden Gardens debut

Mohammed Shami has brought his Test career to a close, announcing his retirement on 6 November 2026, precisely 13 years after he made his debut for India against West Indies, Cricket365 reported.

The 36-year-old finishes with 229 wickets from 64 matches, a return that places him as India's sixth-highest wicket-taker among pace bowlers in the format's history, behind the likes of Kapil Dev and Zaheer Khan.

His numbers compare favourably with the best of his era: a career average of 27.71 and a strike rate of 50.2, figures achieved despite home surfaces that did not always favour his style.

Shami was at his most dangerous on Indian soil, averaging 22.10 there with a strike rate of 42.6, and India did not lose a home Test series during his time in the side.

His debut haul of 9 for 118 at Eden Gardens against West Indies in 2013 remained his best match figures across the full 64-Test career.

Overseas, he built a reputation as a second-innings destroyer, with spells including 5 for 28 in Johannesburg in 2018 that helped seal a tense win over South Africa, and a career-best 6 for 56 against Australia in Perth later that year.

Yahoo Sports gave a slightly different breakdown of his away form, reporting 145 wickets from 41 Tests outside India at an average of 30.33, against 76 wickets at home at an average of 22.1.

His final Test appearance came in the 2023 World Test Championship final against Australia, and he had not featured in India's Test plans since, despite continuing to turn out for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy, Mushtaq Ali and Vijay Hazare competitions.

Bengal head coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla said he and others had hoped Shami would force his way back into the India side before calling time on his Test career, rather than retiring without a farewell series in the shirt.

"Despite all of that, playing and practising for Bengal for the last two years in Ranji Trophy, Mushtaq Ali, and Vijay Hazare - I mean, you are the best, Shami," Shukla said in a video posted to Instagram, as quoted by Yahoo Sports.

"We all wanted you to have a comeback in the Test team and retire from there. But God did not accept it. Despite that, you are the best," Shukla added.

Shukla also praised the intensity Shami brought to domestic cricket long after establishing himself internationally, saying he had rarely seen a fast bowler commit so fully to Ranji Trophy cricket having already taken so many wickets in Tests, one-dayers and T20s for India.

The retirement closes the book on a seam-bowling career built around reverse swing and an upright action that made Shami a central figure during India's period of success away from home under Virat Kohli.

Shami continues to be available for domestic cricket with Bengal, with no indication in his announcement of any plans to step away from the shorter formats or first-class cricket at this stage.