Picture Credit: X
India’s star pacer, Mohammed Shami, who has been out of action since the ODI World Cup in 2023, will delay his return into competitive cricket as he has been sidelined from the initial stage of Ranji Trophy 2024-25. Shami, has been ruled out of the first two rounds of the upcoming domestic tournament, the Ranji Trophy, as he is yet to regain complete fitness after his surgery.
Watch Now: Ranji Trophy Live Score | Ranji Trophy Plate Live Score
The development comes after the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) recently announced the squad for the first two matches of the premier domestic tournament. While Shami continues to remain on the sidelines, CAB has named 19-member squad for the upcoming fixtures. Bengal, who have been named in the Elite Group C, will take on Uttar Pradesh in their opening match at Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow from October 11, followed by a match against Bihar from October 18 onwards at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Wriddhiman Saha returns for Bengal while Shami misses out
While the premium Indian pacer continues to recover from the ankle injury, he earlier expressed his intent to play domestic tournament in order to mark his return in the national side after an extended injury layoff. “If I need to play domestic cricket to test my fitness, I will. What matters most is being fully ready for whatever comes next, regardless of the opposition or format,” he had said.
In Shami’s absence, the side has included experienced wicketkeeper-batter Wriddhiman Sana, top-order batter, Sudip Chatterjee, along with Shami’s brother, Mohammed Kaif, Shahbaz Ahmed, Abishek Porel, Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar and others. Saha, who made his debut for Bengal in 2007, parted ways with CAB in 2022 due to disagreements. He then moved to Tripura, as a mentor and a player, but will return in the upcoming edition.
Bengal’s squad for Ranji Trophy 2024-25
Anustup Majumdar (captain), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sudip Gharami, Sudip Chatterjee, Wriddhiman Saha, Shahbaz Ahmed, Abishek Porel, Writtick Chatterjee, Avilin Ghosh, Shuvam Dey, Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar, Suraj Jaiswal, Mohd Kaif, Pradipta Pramanik, Aamir Gani, Yudhajit Guha, Rohit Kumar and Rishav Vivek.
