Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar were both absent from India’s squads for the upcoming West Indies series, raising fresh questions about their international futures. Shami last played for India in the 2025 Champions Trophy final, while Bhuvneshwar has been out of the national setup since 2021. Despite Bhuvneshwar’s impressive IPL 2026 campaign and Shami’s continued domestic performances, neither veteran found a place in the latest selections. Former India batter Aakash Chopra believes their omissions could be significant.

Time Up For Bhuvi, Shami?

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra pointed to the growing number of younger options entering India’s limited-overs setup.

"I think the writing is on the wall when you look at things from Shami and Bhuvi's perspective."

"With so many teams, so much overlap, so many new players getting opportunities, Auqib Nabi being named in the ODI team, Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav coming into the T20I setup, and neither Bhuvi nor Shami being there, I think it tells us something."

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"This is probably something we need to accept, make peace with, and keep moving on. That's what I think."

Shami’s last international appearance, as stated, came in the Champions Trophy final in 2025.

Since then, the experienced pacer has remained outside India’s international squads while continuing to perform at the domestic level.

Bhuvneshwar’s IPL Revival Not Enough?

Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s case is particularly notable given his IPL 2025 and 2026 campaigns.

Playing for eventual back-to-back champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the veteran pacer picked up 17 and 28 wickets, respectively.

His performances led to renewed discussion about a possible India comeback, but the latest squads do not include him.

Bhuvneshwar last played international cricket in 2021, meaning his wait for another India appearance has now stretched several years. Despite his IPL resurgence, the selectors have continued to look towards newer options.