Arjuna awardee Mohammed Shami receives SIR hearing notice from Election Commission

India fast bowler and ‘2023 Arjuna Award’ winner Mohammed Shami has found himself in the spotlight off the field after being issued a notice for a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) hearing by the Election Commission in Kolkata, even as his on-field future remains uncertain. Shami, along with his brother Mohammed Kaif, was asked to appear for the SIR hearing related to voter verification. The Indian pacer, however, could not attend the scheduled hearing on Monday (Jan 5) as he is currently in Rajkot, representing Bengal in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Election Commission officials in West Bengal confirmed that a fresh date for Shami’s hearing will be communicated soon.

Born in Uttar Pradesh, Shami moved to West Bengal several years ago due to his professional cricket commitments. Over time, he became a long-term registered voter in the Jadavpur constituency of Kolkata. As of now, the cricketer has not issued any official statement regarding the notice or the hearing process.

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The development comes at a time when Shami is already navigating a challenging phase in his cricketing career. The senior pacer has not featured for India since the Champions Trophy final in March 2025 and has struggled to regain his place in the national setup. Speaking earlier about his exclusion, Shami had admitted that he was going through a “difficult phase” after being overlooked for the home Test series against West Indies in October and the subsequent two-Test tour of South Africa.

His absence continued during India’s five-Test tour of England last year, which followed a below-par IPL season. Representing Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Shami played nine out of 14 matches, managing just six wickets. He finished the tournament with an average of 56.16 and an economy rate of 11.23, numbers that raised questions about his form and fitness.