S Badrinath has questioned why India keep backing Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for their experience but will not do the same for Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The former India batter said legend status in India is mostly reserved for batters, while ageing bowlers are simply left out.
His comments came after India’s bowling was exposed in the ODI series against West Indies. India won the series 2-1 but failed to defend 351 in the final game at New Chandigarh, where Shai Hope’s unbeaten 162 took West Indies home with 10 balls left.
The problem ran through the series. In the first two games, India’s new-ball bowlers took one wicket in the powerplay and gave away 177 runs. The Guwahati game produced more than 800 runs, with India needing Shubman Gill’s unbeaten 223 to chase 406.
Badrinath said the attack looked completely different without Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya. He called it inexperienced and lacking the skill to adapt under pressure.
The age argument sounds fair until you see who scored runs in the very game India lost.
“Rohit-Kohli are in team due to experience despite age, Shami-Bhuvi fall in same category, but in India legend status is only for batters.”
S Badrinath, on India’s bowling after the West Indies ODI series, October 2026
He added that when India need experience, Shami and Bhuvneshwar can be picked the same way Rohit and Kohli are.
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Badrinath has the logic right. Rohit and Kohli are not in the side as a favour. In the game India lost, Rohit made 92 off 85 balls, and that is why his age stops mattering.
The same test should apply to bowlers. Shami has kept taking wickets in domestic cricket, and Bhuvneshwar was among the best bowlers in this year’s IPL. Experience in a bowler means knowing what to bowl on a flat pitch to a set batter, exactly what India lacked in the powerplay against West Indies. If the wickets keep coming, age is just a number.
Ashwin Said the Same in July
Badrinath is not the first to say this. In July, after the England ODI series, R Ashwin made the same point on his YouTube channel. He has also backed Bhuvneshwar’s return to the India side.
“They cannot be touched because they are batters. They have an army, a battalion.”
R Ashwin, Ash Ki Baat, July 2026
He added that leaving out Shami, Siraj or Bhuvneshwar draws only a handful of questions in comparison.
| Mohammed Shami | Bhuvneshwar Kumar | |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 36 | 36 |
| Last India game | March 2025 | November 2022 |
| Recent form | 37 Ranji wickets at 16.72 (2025-26) | 28 IPL wickets, economy 7.95 (2026) |
| Current status | Not picked | Recalled for New Zealand T20Is |
Shami is the clearer ODI case. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar has repeatedly raised concerns about his fitness, which is part of the reason he has been left out.
Bhuvneshwar’s route back has come through T20 cricket. He has stepped away from List A cricket and ruled out an ODI return, which limits his place in the 2027 World Cup debate. His IPL form has still earned a T20I recall for New Zealand, proof that performance can open the door at 36.
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