Mohammed Shami’s Return To Cricket Delayed As Bengal Omits Him
by Jatin Sharma · SportzwikiMohammed Shami’s comeback to competitive cricket has been delayed even further as he was left out of Bengal’s Ranji Trophy squad for the next two rounds in Bengaluru and Indore.
Shami, 34, has not played competitive cricket since India’s ODI World Cup final defeat in Ahmedabad last November, but he is set to return this week as part of the Ranji Trophy.
Bengal, led by Anustup Majumdar, will face Karnataka in their next match on Wednesday, November 6. They will subsequently face Madhya Pradesh, beginning on November 13. These are their final two matches in the first phase of the Ranji season before the next phase begins on January 23.
Mohammed Shami’s return to be delayed further
Mohammed Shami underwent surgery in London in February and was expected to return for the home Test series against Bangladesh and New Zealand. However, his return was delayed due to a swollen knee. He was also excluded from the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 roster of 18 players.
The 34-year-old spinner hasn’t played competitive cricket since India lost the ODI World Cup final in November. He was scheduled to make his comeback this week in the Ranji Trophy 2024-25. Shami is expected to play for Bengal in the fourth and fifth rounds, against Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, respectively.
Bengal coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla gives update on Mohammed Shami
According to reports, Mohammed Shami could be chosen in India’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy squad provided he establishes his fitness in the Ranji Trophy. However, given his omission from the Ranji Trophy squad, the fast bowler is unlikely to be selected for the forthcoming Australia tour.
“We are hopeful that Shami will join us for games against Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. He is a valuable player for India, and the team his service will be required for the Australia series. Recently, he mentioned how keen he is about playing a couple of Ranji games for Bengal before traveling to Australia. Good outings in the Ranji Trophy will be good for him ahead of the Australia tour and will be a big boost for us; our four key players are playing for India and India A,” Laxmi Ratan Shukla told The Indian Express last week.
Shami took 16 wickets in four matches during the BGT 2018-19 series. He had to miss the subsequent tour in 2020-21 after suffering an injury in the first Test.
Bengal squad for fourth and fifth rounds of Ranji Trophy 2024-25:
Anustup Majumdar, Wriddhiman Saha, Sudip Chatterjee, Sudip Kr Gharami, Shahbaz Ahmed, Writtick Chatterjee, Avilin Ghosh, Shuvam Dey, Shakir Habib Gandhi, Pradipta Pramanik, Aamir Gani, Ishan Porel, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Md Kaif, Rohit Kumar, Rishav Vivek.