“Mitchell Starc kept going for runs initially” - IPL winner suggests new team for Mohammad Shami ahead of IPL 2026 auction

Former India batter Mohammad Kaif weighed in on which team would suit Mohammad Shami amid trade rumours of the fast bowler ahead of IPL 2026 auction. Kaif believes playing for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will serve the veteran pacer better than featuring for the Delhi Capitals (DC).

With the IPL trading window still active, reports have indicated that DC and LSG have shown strong interest in bagging Shami's services for IPL 2026. After fetching ₹10 crore in 2025, the Bengal seamer took only six scalps in nine matches at an average of 56.17.

Speaking in the latest video uploaded on his YouTube channel, Kaif said Shami may continue to struggle in Delhi but thrive in Lucknow as his hard lengths will work on those red soil pitches. The 44-yea-old feels LSG will target the 35-year-old, mainly due to their injury troubles.

"Not Delhi. If you see Mitchell Starc, he kept going for runs initially. The Delhi surface doesn’t assist swing bowling. The ball doesn’t swing in the air in a 45-degree temperature. I feel Lucknow pitch will suit him more because there is black soil and red soil. The hard length he bowls will work on the red soil. They also prepare those grassy pitches. LSG will be hoping to get Shami. It is also a big ground, so Lucknow should target him."

"Mayank Yadav is also injured and has hardly played. Shami was released by Gujarat mostly due to fitness issues. Mayank Yadav was paid 11 crore and retained. He was pushed to play. He should play only after gaining full fitness. So, Shami will be in full demand. Rishabh Pant and co. will be deliberating on whether he will be a good fit for the red soil pitches in Lucknow."

Injury troubles compounded for LSG in IPL 2025 as Mohsin Khan was ruled out of the full season. Mayank played only a couple of matches and sat out of the remainder of the tournament, while Akash Deep featured only in six games.

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"Hyderabad pitch is not the one for Mohammad Shami" - Mohammad Kaif

Mohammad Kaif. (Image Credits: Getty)

Mohammad Kaif went on to suggest that a batting paradise like that in Hyderabad was never going to suit Mohammad Shami as he needs that zip with the new ball. He also claimed that SRH were unwise to pay him a huge amount.

"The Hyderabad pitch is not the one for Mohammed Shami. There was a time when Rashid Khan used to play for them and David Warner and Kane Williamson was the skipper. With so much heat in Hyderabad, it won’t be a green top or a seaming wicket. If the ball doesn’t move in and the layer of grass is cut, he doesn’t get that zip to outsmart the batter with the new ball. Hence, it’s a tricky pitch for Shami to perform on. Keeping in mind the pitch, he was paid too much by SRH. Hyderabad had two things not going their way. The batting also flopped in IPL 2025. With the batting unit making 200-250 runs, bowlers had plenty of cushion. Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma were mustering 100 runs in six overs in 2024. But neither Head nor Abhishek could play that way in IPL 2025."

At the same time, Kaif warned the SunRisers that releasing Shami might do more damage to their bowling attack.

"So, if they don’t get those 200+ totals, bowlers are in a fix. They can’t win games with 170ish totals and they are used to having 200-run scores. Abhishek and Head had spoilt the bowlers. Hence, Shami got exposed a lot more as 200+ totals were not made often. The perception was that Hyderabad will make 300 but they fell face first. Also, he didn’t get much support. Pat Cummins used to bowl those slower bouncers. The players they have are new, so they have no attacking bowlers. More than batting, they need to work on bowling. If they release Shami, SRH need to work on bowling even more."

The 2016 champions failed to qualify for the playoffs in IPL 2025.