Shubman Gill breaks silence on Mohammed Shami's exclusion from Indian team: 'Have to plan ahead'

On the eve of the first Test between India and South Africa, which gets underway in Kolkata on Friday, skipper Shubman Gill broke his silence on the continued absence of pacer Mohammed Shami from the Indian squad.

The 35-year-old has been consistently overlooked by selectors since India's Champions Trophy triumph in March 2025. He has allayed fitness concerns by playing the ongoing Ranji Trophy matches for Bengal but the selectors continue to keep him out of the squads across formats.

'There aren’t many bowlers of Shami bhai’s quality'

When asked about this in the pre-match press conference, Gill praised Shami but also said that the team management is planning for the future.

"There aren’t many bowlers of Shami bhai’s quality. But when you look at the performances of others — guys like Akash Deep and Prasidh — and also what Siraj and Bumrah have done for us, it becomes a tough call," the Indian captain explained.

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"It’s never easy when someone like Shami bhai has to miss out, but at the same time, we have to plan ahead," Gill added.

Shami's fitness was supposed to be a point of concern, but the pacer has delivered in the Ranji Trophy with 15 wickets in three games for Bengal.

“As for fitness and selection matters, the selectors would be in a better position to give a clear answer on that," Gill said.

Shami is considered among India's finest pace bowlers and has over 200 wickets both in Tests and ODIs.

Gill says workload on Bumrah will be less in India

As for workload management of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, the Indian captain said that the pacer will manage.

"When you play in places like England or Australia, the workload for fast bowlers is usually higher than it is in India. But our pacers have also learned to recognise the kind of spells they need to bowl here," Gill said.

“For example, if there’s reverse swing on offer, they’ll go full throttle for that phase. Bumrah also understands that the workload in Indian conditions isn’t as demanding, and he manages it accordingly," he added.