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Shami’s hopes of making a comeback took a massive hit after he was not named in Bengal’s squad for the upcoming Ranji Trophy matches against Karnataka and MP.
Mohammed Shami will miss Bengal’s next two Ranji Trophy matches. (Picture Credit: PTI)
Star Indian pacer Mohammed Shami, who hasn’t played any competitive match since the ODI World Cup final on November 19, 2023, is all set to miss Bengal’s next two matches in the Ranji Trophy. The 34-year-old fast bowler, who was released by Gujarat Titans last week ahead of IPL 2025 mega auctions, was not named in Bengal’s Ranji Trophy squad announced for the next two matches against Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, which are scheduled to take place in Bengaluru and Indore, respectively.
Shami was expected to play in the fourth and fifth round matches of the Ranji Trophy for Bengal in order to get some game time, but now his return has been delayed further.
It was reported last week that Shami can be included in the Indian team for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 squad if he manages to prove his fitness in the Ranji Trophy, but now that doesn’t look like a real possibility.
“We are hopeful that Shami will join us for games against Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh,” Bengal coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla told The Indian Express last week. “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 travelling 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,” said Shukla.
Iyer back for Mumbai
Shreyas Iyer is all set to make a comeback for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy after missing the team’s last match against Tripura in Agartala.
According to a report in the Times of India, Iyer will play in Mumbai’s next match against Odisha, which is set to start at MCA Ground on November 6. The rest of the members of the Mumbai squad remain the same, which means there was no place for Prithvi Shaw again.
Shaw was dropped from Mumbai’s team for the team’s last match against Tripura due to fitness and injury-related issues.
