On 6 November 2026, India fast bowler Mohammed Shami retired from Test cricket with 229 wickets in 64 matches, according to the ICC.
The record Shami leaves in Tests
Shami announced the decision through Instagram, the ICC reported. The departure concerns the longest format, ending his place in India's future Test selections. It does not, by itself, end his involvement in other forms of cricket.
The ICC's 6 November 2026 account recalls Shami taking 5/28 in the second innings at Johannesburg during India's 2018 South Africa tour, helping secure a Test win. On the next tour, he took eight wickets in the opening Test at Centurion as India won again.
The ICC describes a bowler who moved the ball with both the new and old ball. Its career account credits him with six five-wicket hauls and ranks him sixth among India's Test pacers. That record reflects spells at home and overseas, including the South African victories.
From Test debut to final appearance
According to the ICC's 6 November 2026 account, Shami made his Test debut against West Indies in 2013 and last appeared in the 2023 World Test Championship final against Australia. Injuries interrupted stages of the career between those appearances.
SportsRivo checked the ICC's 11 June 2023 final-day report and confirmed that Australia won Shami's last Test, beating India by 209 runs. The result identifies the outcome of the final appearance that the retirement announcement names.
What Shami’s retirement changes
- India must plan its Test pace attack without Shami after his retirement from the format.
- Shami finishes as India's sixth-most successful Test pacer by wickets in the ICC's ranking.
- India fast bowler Mohammed Shami said in a social-media video, according to Reuters, “I will continue to play white-ball cricket”, confirming that his playing plans extend beyond Tests.
Source: ICC retirement report