"Let him say whatever he wants" - Mohammad Shami again hits back at Ajit Agarkar over fitness claims ahead of AUS vs IND 2025 series

The war of words between veteran Indian bowler Mohammad Shami and chief selector Ajit Agarkar continues to take an ugly turn after the former issued yet another response after his omission from the squad for the Australia tour. The right-arm pacer is currently playing for Bengal in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy opener against Uttarakhand at the Eden Gardens.

Shami bagged figures of 3-37 in 14.5 overs in the first innings as the opposition were bowled out for 213. He is in action on Day 3 as well, having bowled 15 overs so far in the second innings, without any wickets to his name.

The veteran pacer had made a massive statement ahead of the domestic fixture by claiming that there was no communication from the selectors and the team management regarding his non-inclusion. He also mentioned that his fitness is not a factor since he is playing regularly at full throttle.

Ajit Agarkar recently issued a reply to those claims by stating that Shami's fitness is indeed a factor behind his exclusion, while mentioning that he will have a conversation with him soon to sort things out.

"I mean if he was here, I would probably do that. I am not quite sure what he said on social media. Maybe if I read that, I might give him a call but my phone is always on for all the players. I have had multiple chats with him over the last few months, but I don't want to try and give you a headline here," Agarkar told NDTV.

"He has been an incredible performer for India. If he said something, maybe that is a conversation for me to have with him or him to have with me. But even before England, we said if he was fit, he would have been on the plane. Unfortunately, he wasn't, and our domestic season has just started," he added.

After the day's play in Kolkata, Shami was asked for his thoughts regarding Agarkar's comments regarding his fitness.

“Let him say whatever he wants. You’ve seen how I bowled. It’s all in front of your eyes," Shami told reporters (via Hindustan Times).

Prior to the Ranji Trophy opener, the pacer also featured for East Zone in the 2025 Duleep Trophy fixture against North Zone, where he returned figures of 1-100 and 0-36, in the first and the second innings, respectively.

Mohammad Shami last featured for India in the 2025 Champions Trophy

The veteran pacer was absent from the schemes for a lenghty period after having to undergo surgery following the 2023 ODI World Cup campaign. He made his return during the white-ball home series in England, and featured in the 2025 Champions Trophy campaign as the sole frontline seamer in the playing XI.

However, a poor Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) worked against his favor. Featuring in only nine matches, and picking up six wickets with an economy of 11.23, and an average of 56.17, left the selectors unconvinced of his rhythm, form, and workload ahead of the England tour.