NEW DELHI: Mohammed Shami and chief selector Ajit Agarkar were engaged in a war of words after the Indian pacer was repeatedly ignored for national team selection. While Agarkar maintained that fitness issues had kept Shami out of the squad, the pacer argued that if he wasn't fit, he wouldn't have been able to perform in domestic cricket.

Shami walks the talk

Shami walked the talk once again with a stellar performance, claiming a five-wicket haul (5/38) in Bengal's commanding 141-run victory over Gujarat in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group C match in Kolkata. The right-arm pacer finished with eight wickets in the match, having taken three in the first innings.

Shami's performance reflects that he still has what it takes to represent the country. In Bengal's opening Ranji Trophy match against Uttarakhand, he was named Player of the Match for his seven-wicket haul.

Is Shami's return on the cards?

Shami's 15 wickets in just two Ranji games should be enough to catch the selectors' attention when they sit down to pick the Indian squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa at home.

Beyond the impressive wicket tally, what stands out even more is Shami's workload. He bowled 39 overs in the first match and followed it up with 28 in the second - a clear sign that he's back to delivering long, sustained spells, something that had been missing since his return from injury last year.

Shami has not played for India since the Champions Trophy final, missing the Test series against England and the West Indies, as well as the recently concluded ODI series against Australia.

War of Words

Earlier, Agarkar stated the reason for Shami's non-inclusion, clearly linking the bowler's absence to his physical condition.

"If Mohammed Shami was fit, he'd be in the team."

"He has been an incredible performer for India. But even before England we said if he was fit, he would have been in the plane. Unfortunately, he wasn't and our domestic season has just started. We will see if he is fit enough and where it goes."

Shami has sharply refuted the comments from Agarkar, challenging the narrative that has kept him out of the national squad.

"Let him say whatever he wants. You’ve witnessed how I bowled. It's all in front of your eyes to judge."