Navdeep Saini, a pacer for the Delhi and Kolkata Knight Riders, feels that seasoned fast bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami should be given another chance to represent India. Both pacers continue to demonstrate their value in both domestic cricket and the IPL, but they are still not part of the national team roster since the selectors have not yet stated if they would be given another chance.
As a member of India’s historic Border-Gavaskar Trophy victory in 2020–21, Saini demonstrated the abilities of pacers in both franchise and domestic cricket. He acknowledged the challenge of maintaining form while staying out of the national team picture in competitive domestic competitions and the IPL.
Navdeep Saini Supports Shami and Bhuvneshwar:
During the interview with India TV, Saini said, “I can’t comment on what the selectors are thinking, but as a player, I feel Mohammed Shami or Bhuvneshwar Kumar are performing really well in domestic cricket or IPL. I think they should be selected (to the national team). They are working really hard and it’s not easy to play domestic cricket, particularly Ranji Trophy. It takes a lot of effort to play in the Ranji Trophy. Shami bhai is doing really well and Bhuvi bhai did well in the IPL. He is going to play in the UPT20 league as well. So, I think they should get a chance in the Indian team.”
In recent IPL seasons, Bhuvneshwar has been especially outstanding. In the lucrative league, he consistently led Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s bowling attack. The 36-year-old had a fantastic 2026 season, taking 28 wickets to rank second on the list of wicket-takers, behind Kagiso Rabada of the Gujarat Titans. The younger bowlers, who found it difficult to make an impression in the series against Ireland and England, were nonetheless supported by the Indian management despite their form.
Shami, on the other hand, keeps playing in competitive formats of domestic cricket, such as the Ranji Trophy. Shami’s non-selection for the national squad was partly due to chief selector Ajit Agarkar’s constant worries about his fitness. The 35-year-old hasn’t played for India since the Champions Trophy in 2025, when he took nine wickets in five games.
