India, Jan. 4 -- Before the BCCI's national team selection panel announced the squad for India's upcoming ODI series against New Zealand, a name being floated for a return to the team was that of Mohammed Shami. The highly experienced Indian seamer hasn't played for India since the victorious Champions Trophy, as he has battled injury and a loss of rhythm, but a recent uptick, thanks to a lot of effort put into domestic cricket, has pushed him back to the top of the conversation.

Particularly with the BCCI's new mandates on the importance of domestic cricket as a must-have for players even at the international level, Shami's efforts across formats for Bengal led many to believe he might earn a well-deserved call back, with names such as ...