"Maybe that sealed the deal for him" - Former KKR player's huge statement on Mohammad Shami's Test retirement amid NZ vs IND 2026 series

Former India spinner Murali Kartik hailed Mohammad Shami’s stellar red-ball career after he announced his retirement from Test cricket ahead of the second ODI against the Black Caps in Wellington. The 36-year-old will still continue to feature in white-ball cricket at the domestic level and in the Indian Premier League (IPL) after being recently snubbed for the New Zealand tour.

Mohammad Shami played 64 Tests for India since his debut in 2013, picking up 229 wickets at an average of 27.71. He played a massive role in India's overseas red-ball success at the peak of his career, and featured in two World Test Championship (WTC) Finals, with the second one in 2023 being his last appearance.

Murali Kartik praised Mohammad Shami's career and expressed disappointment at having watched the last of him with a red ball.

“When I think of Mohammad Shami, I think of a tough examiner, who sets very tough question papers. I think that is what he was. I cannot think of many bowlers who have asked as many questions of a batter. It is a sad day. Any time any of these players go, it is not a great day, it is not a great feeling. It is like you have lost a loved one,” Kartik said on Cricbuzz.

He further lauded Shami for giving it his all in a bid to make a comeback to the national side through domestic cricket in the twilight years of his career.

“He has tried his level best to come back. I think when India went to England under Shubman Gill, maybe they were looking at him, because he would have been ideal. For a young captain to have someone like him, you cannot ask for more than him, Bumrah, and Siraj. Unfortunately, whatever happened, whatever transpired, I am not going there, and maybe that sealed the deal for him,” Kartik added.

Former Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar had mentioned at the time that the team management was concerned about Mohammad Shami's fitness level, which resulted in a war of words. However, the veteran pacer continued to be out of the scheme of things as the selectors moved on to a new batch of bowlers.

“With the red ball, I don’t think there were many bowlers who could come close to him” - Ambati Rayudu’s huge praise for Mohammad Shami

Former India batter Ambati Rayudu also praised Mohammad Shami's impact, terming him one of the best red-ball bowlers India ever produced.

“Any retirement of a remarkable player is always sad, it always makes you wonder about the number of sacrifices that a player goes through in his career. It has been a great journey for Mohammad Shami, he has been very successful, he has been one of the few bowlers that opponents used to fear. With the red ball, I don’t think there were many bowlers who could come close to him in Indian cricket,” Ambati Rayudu said on Cricbuzz

“It is always sad, but I am sure that he is a happy guy. He has put in all his effort, even in the last couple of years when he was not getting picked, he made sure that he was putting in a lot of effort in domestic cricket. Sometimes things don’t go your way, and I just think that it has been a great career,” Rayudu added.

Mohammad Shami confirmed on his retirement post that white-ball cricket stays, and he has been named in Bengal’s squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy starting November 14, with the occasional four-day game possible if his body allows.

India lead the five-match ODI series 1‑0 after a five-wicket win in Auckland, where Virat Kohli made 74 off 51 balls. Rain had delayed the toss in Wellington at the time of writing.

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